


Left Behind Mortality

by UndercoverTimeagent



Series: life of the immortals [1]
Category: Doctor Who (2005), Torchwood
Genre: Abusive Relationships, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Police, Anal Sex, Explicit Sexual Content, Fluff, Friendship, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, Immortality, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Underage Sex, Kidnapping, Lovers, M/M, Murder, Non-Graphic Violence, Oral Sex, Past Abuse, Semi graphic violence, Smuff, Sort Of, Tags Are Hard, Tags May Change, but what else is new, is that even a thing, me trying to keep it simple, oh boi, please don't flame me, plot disappearance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-20
Updated: 2019-03-03
Packaged: 2019-05-09 13:32:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 27,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14717027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UndercoverTimeagent/pseuds/UndercoverTimeagent
Summary: when James gets mixed into a traumatical break up he doesn't know what to do with himself. he decides to get away from his problems and moves to Cardiff, Wales.when he meets the captain, local DI with the police. His peace and quiet to finish his studies is short lived.Smutt in chapter 10 and 11





	1. Cold Reality

**Author's Note:**

> this wasn't betad, since I have no friends who I would want to show this to...  
> but this is just a pilot, as you might be able to see in the title. 
> 
> I'm saying this now, I may still change the rating or the tags and if so, you will see this happening as I write the new chapters.
> 
> I'm torn between uploading everything when i'm finished writing the story or uploading as I go along.  
> if this gets good feedback, i might just be able to speed up my writing or spend a few more time working on this piece.
> 
> I am determent to finsh this so I am taking my time to make this good and make myself proud.  
> again, all faults you find are mine and english isn't my first language so if you see some weird things, don't hesitate to tell me! now enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is the reworked version. i just wasn't happy with the result of the last version so... if you see this now, this should be the final version.
> 
> ha syke! I'm updating it again.  
> new and improved baby

He thought he was in love… or at least he used to be.

his perfect dream with who he presumed was the man of his life had turned sour.  
He’d gotten reeled in by the gorgeous blonde hair, the sexy grins, the brilliant sense of humor and although he would never admit it, the promise for amazing sex his partner brought. He’d been a student of physics, going for a phd in the department while Harry had been a law student. They’d met in a local pub, he was immediately in love, the stammering 'virgin' he was. they’d started dating, he’d been perfect… And before he knew it he had moved in with him. at first he had been happy but then… 

He couldn’t remember whether he didn’t have any contact anymore with his friends and family because he wanted to or because Harry had told him to. Drugs and alcohol had started popping up everywhere. He blindly followed Harry and provided everything he needed so he could get his little ideas of the ground, ideas that would never work, once he had eventually dropped out of law school. He worked late and put his own career on hold so Harry and he could be happy. When he realized what he had done it was already too late, but he kept going and stayed with the man he used to love, in case he could maybe get better again.

“Oh, god,” James sighed, this would get taken from his wage if his boss found out. He’d gotten a simple job at a nightclub to support Harry. It wasn’t exactly well paid but if he did extra hours a few times a week plus the tips, he got just about enough to pay for their rent and all necessary things.  
He bent down to pick up the shattered pieces of the glass he had dropped and went back to work. 

-“I’ll be taking that from your wage, young man,” Cassandra remarked as she passed by his bar.

-“I know,” James muttered. At around eleven thirty his shift was over and somebody else would come to take over the bar, he just had to keep going for a little longer than he could finally go to sleep.

When his shift ended and someone came to take over, he was absolutely exhausted. At this point, he just wanted to go to bed but he knew that would still take a while. He got on a bus, staring out the window. When he reached the right stop he got off and crossed the playing field. He stepped through the door of the right apartment building and took out his keys. 

He quietly opened the door of their flat and snuck into the tiny kitchen, he didn’t bother with the lights since it would just be signal for Harry he was home and ready to be ranted and if he was unlucky even shouted at. He was just about to go to the bathroom and go to bed when he heard a very disturbing noise. 

“Hello?” He questioned, “Harry, is that you?” he knew Harry was likely to be asleep or getting drunk in front of the television but that didn’t stop him from still wanting to know what that sound was.

“Oh bloody… Harry you nearly gave me a heart attack!” He exclaimed when Harry all of a sudden came out of the room they used to share. He closed the door quickly behind him before James could have look inside.  
-“You’re early,” Harry stated angrily, he walked up to James. James could smell the alcohol on the other man's breath. He turned his head away slightly, avoiding the strong smell that invaded his nostrils.  
-“no, I’m not. It’s bloody twelve thirty. I worked all day. How am I early?” He asked tiredly. "What are you even doing in there?” James tried to open the door and brush past Harry when the other man stopped him and grabbed his wrist.

-“Don’t go in there.” He warned darkly.

-“Or what? Harry, you’re drunk and I would appreciate it if you would just let me go to sleep and sober up.”

-“Don’t you talk to me like that you bitch.” Harry screamed. In his anger, he got closer and James took the opportunity to open the door and walk inside of his room.  
What he saw inside, he would never forget again. The first thing he got was the strong smell of alcohol and sex. He gagged on it. on the bed was a young man, no, boy. He was almost sick all over the floor. 

Harry was a few steps behind him so he got no opportunity to see if the boy was ok.

“Let me go Harry!” James pleaded as the stronger man grabbed him by the hair and slammed his head into the wall on the outside of the door. An explosion of pain in his skull made him realize this was the moment he would either save that boy and himself or they both would get killed, so the adrenaline started flowing. He tried to free himself, he was perfectly capable of protecting himself, but the smaller man had always been stronger than him. a fast struggle later he still managed to fight Harry off and run back to the boy. He had slammed Harry into the fridge, he would only have a few seconds until he would probably be back with a vengeance and he couldn’t leave that poor kid. 

He had just about freed him from the rope around his feet when he was once again grabbed and slammed into the wall behind him, this time it hurt too much to protect himself and he collapsed onto the floor.

-“I know what you did!" He heard Harry scream in his face. "you go crawl back to that Tyler bitch” He punched him in the side causing James to give another shout and crawl back. This time Harry started kicking him. he curled into a ball while one hit after the other landed on his body, if he didn’t stop soon, something was going to snap. He had no idea what Harry meant with his friend, Rose. If he meant that he had cheated on him, he was wrong.

“Look at me you fag! After all I’ve done for you! without me, you would be living in the streets and this is how you thank me?! It’s not like you wouldn’t do the exact same thing!” This time he went for James’ head again, the kick landed and the world started spinning. When he came back to his senses he knew something in his arm had snapped, a piercing pain was burning his arm from the inside out. It hurt to breathe. He felt something warm trickle down the side of his face, it hurt to think, but he had to, he couldn’t afford to go unconscious now, so he held on. He opened his eyes a bit but it made him sick so he closed them again fast. 

Before he did that, the boy he had freed, ran past them and got to the door. Harry noticed him making a mad dash for freedom so he tried to catch up to him.  
The young man had already made it to the door and was gone. good James thought. At least he was saved from Harry’s disgusting hands. He heard Harry still swear loudly and give him another kick.

All of a sudden there was a sound, that at the same time gave him hope of survival and scared him to death. The doorbell rang midway Harry’s swig of cheap, what he presumed, Vodka while probably trying to decide what to do next with the defeated man on the ground and the poor kid who would probably go to the police.  
He ducked down to James’s level: “not a word! stay here.” he went over to the door and looked through the peeping hole to see the neighbor’s concerned face looking back at him.  
“Shit” he muttered. He put on his best fake smile and opened the door a little bit.

While James lay on the floor, only half listening to Harry reassuring the neighbor that James was just having another one of his temper tantrums, he realized, if he didn’t get away now he might never get the chance. He tried to sit up, his head hurt, his arm felt like it was on fire. He was pretty sure he had a concussion. He pulled himself up against the wall and stumbled over to the door just as Harry was about to close it. he pulled it open, looking straight into the shocked eyes of his neighbor. He found only the strength to say three more words.

“Please help me.” before his eyes rolled back in his head and collapsed in a heap on the hard floor.

-

His head hurt, it felt like it had been hit several times with a baseball bat. He heard voices, several of them sounded angry, he recognized them. One of them was his sister, Donna, and the other sounded like his mom. He wondered why they were here. He hadn’t had time to clean the apartment, If his mom was with them she would probably have a fit!  
That’s when it hit him, he’d left his only family for that swine, who had used him. he saw that now, after three bloody months of trying. His soul filled with guilt, his family especially his grandad must have been so worried. Before Harry and all the trouble he’d worked himself into he’d been so close with his sister and grandad and when he’d met Harry he’d just stopped talking to them and now Harry had gotten that young boy. He’d done what Harry had asked him. he felt like a fool.  
A tear trickled silently down his cheek, he just wanted to get away from here, fly among the stars, and never look back. 

“Oh, now don’t,” he heard his grandad whisper, Donna and his mom hadn’t noticed he was awake yet. A thumb softly wiped the tear away. Which only made it worse.  
Several more tears of anger and hurt and relief flowed down his cheeks. He felt used and abused. 

His lips formed a wobbly smile, his grandad was here, without him, his mom would have probably started yelling at him, or his sister would have threatened to go beat that Harry bastard up, maybe he deserved it but that didn’t mean he was going to allow for them to take revenge.  
He opened his eyes a bit, it hurt. The lights were too bright. His eyes felt dry, his mouth felt dry and breathing hurt. He suspected the beating he had received had something to do with it.

His eyes found his grandads and before he knew it he was in his arms, his head resting on his grandads shoulder. The vigorous talking around him stopped and his sister came to stand next to his bed. 

“I’m sorry,” he whispered softly, “I’m sorry I left you alone. I wanted to call you, I just wanted us to be happy.” He started softly crying again. He was sure his entire world had fallen apart. 

“You don’t have to explain anything, you’re safe, now.” He heard his grandad whisper. 

“You can go to sleep if you want now space boy.” He heard Donna say and put a hand on his shoulder. This did make James show the ghost of a smile. 

“Donna’s talking to me like this? There must really be something terribly wrong.” He halfheartedly tried to joke. 

“There is, but we’ll get through it,” he heard his grandad still whisper just before he closed his eyes and went to sleep again.


	2. A Friend In Need Is A Friend Indeed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I' m uploading this directly after, this may change, I hope not.  
> enjoy!

He didn’t know what his problem was. Two months after his traumatic breakup, he still couldn’t concentrate on anything, he was scared of his own shadow, he was jumpy, he knew he couldn’t keep living like this but he continued.  
He’d recovered from the concussion, a few days in the hospital and later he’d crashed in his old room in his parental house. He’d felt even more terrible there so he decided to get the hell out of the house and start sharing the rent of an apartment with the girl Harry had accused him of sleeping with. 

Rose Tyler.

She was one of his best friends. They’d known each other a long time, since elementary school. They’d helped each other through their first breakups and then together phoned around for each other trying to pick a date for the annual school prom, when they didn’t find one they’d went with each other, Rose, of course, knew he wasn’t interested in her that way. But it didn’t stop them from having ridiculous amounts of fun.  
When they got back in contact and he explained everything to her, she’d been angry. Not with him, but with Harry. She was the one who recommended getting away from the coddling hands of his mother and grandfather. he kept trying but with them both and ones a week his sister it didn’t work. his grandad and mother meant well, he knew. But they both got their separate ways of showing. If he wasn’t being assaulted by his mom, about poor life choices his grandad would be comforting him. he loved his granddad very much for it but it didn’t help him get out of the pit he was slowly slipping into. except for Rose, she knew he just wanted a sense of normality back and couldn’t achieve it because of the climate he had been put back in after that traumatic experience.

It got to the point where his professors, he’d gotten back to after Harry and he had ended, asked if he had problems and maybe wanted to go to the university counseling. He, proud that he was, had politely declined and then said he was just tired because of the hard work he was doing. In the waiting few weeks, in which Rose sought a relatively cheap but cozy apartment he totally went past caring for himself and just threw himself at his, yet unfinished, doctors degree in physics. 

All in all, he felt terrible. The things he used to enjoy felt like a drag, even his thesis was becoming repetitive and non-interesting. In an attempt to catch up to his original schedule that had been thrown of balance in the weeks he had missed, he did extra hours and stayed long after all the professors at the science department had left. This only made it worse and worse. 

It only started getting a bit better when he finally got to move in with his best friend who tried to cheer him up. Every weekend she’d make him go to the local pub with her. She wanted to make him socialize a bit more, they’d meet up with some friends, like Martha Jones and her boyfriend Mickey Smith. Martha was a doctor in training and Mickey was just starting in the tech industry. Rose would try to set him up with someone every ones in a while. They’d show at the door, he’d open it, look at the man, usually ranging from mildly attractive to very attractive, and promptly close it again. Then he’d probably go and sulk in his private room of the apartment they shared.

He kept going and kept trying until it got to the point where James almost enjoyed being in those loud pubs, when he met Harry again. 

They were sitting in a booth, together with Rose, Martha, Mickey, and Gwen. Gwen had just gotten back for a quick visit to London, she’d finally found a gap in her busy schedule working with the Cardiff police department and had decided to go for a quick visit to London to meet up with some old friends. James had known her not that long but she was someone he trusted. And since they had first met, they had quickly become good friends. She was the sort of person that just inspired this in people, if it was because of her good looks or because of her natural leadership capabilities? He didn’t know, probably that’s what police work did to people.  
She was telling some ridiculous story about her boss, an ex-marine, who had been fired from the military for all sorts of shady stuff. He listened intently to Gwen’s stories, not entirely sure if he believed any of them. From what he heard, the man used to be a captain in the American navy. So what was he doing in Cardiff with the police? He sounded like an interesting bloke, to say the least. 

At some point he decided he’d heard enough of naked escape stories and got up to get some more drinks. He asked his company if they wanted anything. They made their orders and he got up to get them those drinks. When he arrived at the bar, he asked for the requested drinks and asked himself one as well. He took a seat on one of the free bar seats and waited.

A rather loud: “Do I know you?” shook him out of his thoughts he’d been slowly drifting into. When the barman got no reaction except for a startled movement from his target, he tried:

“So? You come here often?” James didn’t know how to react to this. He’d never been flirted with so openly let alone by another man. Was he really that inconspicuous or did he have a sign on his back or something? If so, it probably used rainbow letters. Wasn’t THAT how the gaydar worked?

He blushed. He knew he was blushing! Why was he blushing?! the man wasn’t even that attractive. Ok, he was, but he didn’t have to be honest to himself.  
“Err…” he stammered, “not really.” Did he really just say that?! He could’ve fallen through the floor for all he cared now. what was the best he could do? Just reject or play along with it? 

“Looking for a good time tonight?” the barman continued casually, pouring the drinks for his friends, being blissfully unaware of the other’s failings. James realized he really needed a name for the barman, he couldn’t very well keep referring to the man as 'barman'. He was casually overthinking this until those last words hit him.  
That was the signal! The ‘I want to take you to pound town for some considerable amount of time’ signal. He nearly choked on his own breath, already starting to fabricate a polite decline, when he thought about it, more clearly this time. He normally wouldn’t do this. But this wasn’t exactly normal, was it? his life had gone to crap the minute he’d met Harry. He Definitely would have politely declined if it was set up by one of his friends, but now. He wasn’t so sure he wouldn’t like it. it had been a while for him. 

“You have no idea," he said. He leaned his elbows on the counter and grinned. The barman, apparently surprised that he got an answer out of the stammering mess he’d seen before him only twenty seconds before, grinned back. He got a glass and filled it up with some alcoholic beverage and told James:

“My treat, you’ll pay me back later, won’t you?” he smirked again. Not that James could see that in the dim light of the pub. 

he put all the drinks on a tray and leaned closer to James. “My shift’s nearly finished,” he heard the other man whisper seductively. “I’ll see you outside in half an hour, then?”  
James shivered in anticipation and nodded. Oh, he would be there. He was sure of that until he turned around and spotted in the back, he wasn’t quite sure at first, Harry sitting in some hidden away booth. He stopped breathing and nearly dropped the tray with all the drinks.  
There, in the corner of the pub sat Harry, strong drink in hand, seducing some innocent girl. James stumbled a bit, his breathing quickening, he’d done so much to forget that terrible part of his life, and here he was standing in a pub in the core of London, nearly having a heart attack because he was too dumb to realize Harry also came to these parts of town. 

At this moment he didn’t care anymore. Not about the shag he had just arranged for himself, not about this city, not about his friends sitting in the corner. He just had to get the hell out of this town. He’d tried rebuilding his life, away from Harry but I wouldn’t work if he would have to constantly live with the fear of running into Harry at some point.  
That’s when Harry noticed him. if James hadn’t already been pale before, he was right now. He quickly walked over to his friends' booth and deposited the drinks. 

“Rose, I gotta go.” He turned around and practically ran out of the pub.

He still heard the confused “James!” being called but he didn’t care. He had to get out of this bloody place.  
Rose had just been about to congratulate James on his progress on flirting and actually getting picked up by someone when she saw him freeze while turning back to their table. When he ran up to them and left the drinks without so much as an explanation of why he was leaving in such a hurry, practically white as a sheet, she was more confused than anything. Did the drinks already get to him? When Rose saw an angry looking Harry pass their booth, also heading for the exit she knew what was going on. She got up and told her friends she was going home, even though she was pretty sure they all knew what was going on.

When she got outside James was gone, and so was Harry. She got out her mobile and called James.

No reply.

She looked around frantically. 

-

Oh, James knew how to run, he’d always been good at it. long legs, lithe body. He was made for it! but now all he could do was hide. He ran home, as fast as he could. It was walking distance away from the pub.  
He locked the door behind him and sagged against it, slowly sliding down against it. when he’d sat against it for what seemed like an hour in the fetal position there was a knock. when he didn’t react out of fear of who it might be, he heard the lock turning.

He got up and turned towards it. breathing fast. His shoulders sagged when it was Rose who opened the door.

he sighed. 

She looked slightly startled at the fact he was standing in the hall. “Harry?” She questioned. 

-“Lost him in the park.” came the almost whispered answer.

-“Good.”


	3. Getting Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> you may have noticed the tags change, this WILL happen again. be prepared

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i had to rework the last two chapters so I'm hoping i won't have t do it with this one.  
> enjoy!

“I get the impression you are trying to get away for a while.”

-“Yes! That’s exactly it sir, just to get some air, sir.” James had decided he hated this, the moment he walked into his professor’s office. He’d decided, after last time, he couldn’t stay in London. He had done some asking around, and it turned out that transactions between universities were a possibility. He wanted to get out of London be he also still wanted to be able to continue working on his doctorate. 

“Look,” he continued. “I’m very grateful I could pick up where I left off, and I wouldn’t ask for anything else but I’ve got some personal issues I need to sort out, and I think it’s best for me if I get out of town until I’m done working on my thesis.” He looked at his professor, he had been very understanding and had helped him pick up where he left off. It still hadn’t been easy on James, asking his professor if he wouldn’t be able to do anything for him. but his mentor had sat him down in his office and had offered him a strong drink for the occasion. Even if his friends kept telling him it was for the best, he still couldn’t help feeling like a failure, like he was giving Harry what he wanted. 

His professor swirled the ice cubes in his drink and smiled at him. 

-“That’s exactly what I was thinking, Mr. noble. I was scared you were slipping into some kind of depression. you were actually scaring me, I don’t think I could bear it if my best student suddenly decided to quit the project he’s been working on for nearly a year now. I am very glad you are taking the necessary steps. Don’t you worry about it, my friend. I’ll call around. I’ve got some friends in… well…Cardiff that could very well lend you the keys to a few labs in the university there.” James’s shoulders sagged in relief. He let out the breath he didn’t know he’d been holding and thanked his professor probably an unnecessary amount of times.

-

It was the next Sunday, when he was with his family again, that he announced that he would be getting out of time for a while. It had been easier than he had anticipated as his family had been expecting it. they wished him the best of luck (even his mother) and made him promise to visit often and let them visit him. 

Since he had talked to his professor he had gotten the ok from the university in Cardiff. His professor had fixed him a place, owned by the university where he could stay for a milder price as long as he was studying and working on his thesis. 

Not even a fortnight later he was in Paddington station, saying his temporary goodbyes to his best friend and family. His stuff, that wasn’t that much had already been brought over to Cardiff and all the paperwork had been concluded.

Rose had been sticking to his middle the second he had said he should probably go to catch his train. Donna gave him the trademark hit on the upper arm and afterward hugged him quickly. His grandad and mother gave him a big hug and then let him go. 

He got on the train and waited until the time of departure. He was going to miss his family and friends but maybe he could new people in Cardiff. The train ride took three hours, at the end he was nearly dying because of sheer anxiety and anticipation for his new life in Cardiff. 

When the train arrived, he got his stuff, he hadn’t taken that much since his flat was already furnitured and ready for his arrival, stepped into the station and checked the time once again. 

It was just about 5 pm. He had eaten with his family before he left so he wasn’t hungry. He walked out of the station and got a taxi. It was only a short ride to the place he was going to be live for the next months. When he arrived he paid the driver of the taxi and turned around to look at the building before him. it seemed like a modern enough building, with what looked like several apartments inside it. he had gotten the keys several days earlier. The landlady seemed nice enough and when he at first came here to check it out he had gotten several offers of tea and biscuits. 

Turning on the light in the hallway he went up the stairs and stopped at the third floor. His apartment used up the whole floor of the building so finding it was easy. He got out his keys and inserted them in the lock. 

The apartment was relatively small, from where he stood he was only a few steps away from the living room and small kitchen.  
He stepped up to the large window that looked out over the bay of Cardiff. He had a beautiful view of the water and could just about see Mermaid Quay. He definitely would have to go there sometime. 

Continuing the tour of his new accommodation he stepped into the corridor and checked his bathroom, then continued to his bedroom. Stepping inside the room and plopping down on the nice, soft double sized bed he took out his phone and decided to call Gwen and ask if she would fancy meeting somewhere. 

They talked for a while and they decided to meet at a pub not too far from the bay. He wouldn’t be able to stay long since he had to go to the university the next day but that wasn’t going to stop him from meeting his friend, that he hadn’t seen for a while.


	4. pub encounters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i decided to continue uploading as I go.  
> At this point, I'm just closing up some gaps in the story.  
> please review, I'm curious what of what people think of my story.  
> tags still may change

The pub had a typical, noisy atmosphere. But somehow it was different from the London pubs. He liked it! he’d have to come back here sometime. In the back he saw Gwen sitting, already nursing a pint in both hands. When she noticed him she smiled and beckoned for him to sit down next to her. 

“Hi!” He laughed. It had really been a while since they had seen each other. 

“So, how you been?” she asked him. They talked for a while and caught up with recent events. 

When they started talking about her job, she became a bit reluctant. For starters she had a duty to not tell certain things but she told him she liked to keep it all separate.  
They were in the middle of talking about certain places in the city he should definitely go and see when the door opened and a new person walked in. 

Gwen looked who it was and sighed. It was her boss. “James,” she warned, “this guy is the one I told you about, he’s an absolute flirt so watch out. He WILL try to get you into his bed.” 

James just laughed an looked over his shoulder at this new person, he had connected this individual with the person Gwen had been talking about back in London, the ex-marine.  
The moment their eyes met, James couldn’t help but start staring. He had dark brown hair, maybe even black. He couldn’t quite see in the lighting of the bar. His eyes were an icy blue and he looked very fit and strong. If he hadn’t been in a busy pub he would have probably started drooling, but he wasn’t planning on being a conquest of some hot guy in a bar, after last time. So he steeled himself and turned back nonchalantly. 

Gwen looked surprised at him. She had probably expected another reaction out of him. “you know, it’s late I should probably go.” She half mumbled.

-“You gonna be okay?” James asked. He was slightly worried she was leaving him with this captain guy.

-“Yeah, police, remember?”

-“See you around then?”

-“Yes, goodbye.” She got her Jacket and left, brushing past Jack who just gave her a nod. James was now alone in the pub, where he didn’t know anybody and apparently at the mercy of the most flirtatious guy in all of Cardiff.

-

Jack Harkness felt like having a good night, maybe pick someone up or something. But first, he needed a drink. His work had started steadily taking over his life. He loved his job and loved helping people but he felt like he needed some space from time to time.  
When he stepped into some old bar in Cardiff bay he didn’t expect to see one of his employees in there. She was talking to someone. It seemed to be a very handsome young man with wild brown hair.  
He saw Gwen look over to him and sigh. He smirked, she knew exactly what he was doing here. The young man turned around as well to see what Gwen was looking at, all of a sudden Jack felt as if the planet had stopped turning or something like that. The man looked to be in his late twenties, had a face full of freckles, enormous doe eyes, had Long limbs and skinny body. 

To his surprise that man turned back around and continued his conversation with Gwen. He was kind of disappointed, though. Usually, he got a very different reaction and he was pretty sure he had heard his gaydar ping. He wasn’t very surprised when Gwen got up and said her goodbyes to the other, brushing past Jack and only slightly nodding in acknowledgment. She brushed past him and now Jack was left alone in the café with this other man.  
He walked up to the bar and sat next to the other man, who apparently wasn’t interested in him in the slightest. He seemed to be nursing some kind of cocktail or something, deep in thought. Deciding to take matters into his own hands he started thinking of a way to start a conversation.  
“Hi, Captain Jack Harkness. And who are you?” to his surprise the other man just rolled his eyes and turned slightly to face him. was the American accent just too much for the other?

-“How does a person make his own name a pick up line?”

Cheeky, witty? He liked him even more. –“Well with my charm and body it shouldn’t really be very difficult don’t you think?” Jack answered.  
James had to admit, he did look ridiculously attractive, not a single hair out of place, cleft in the chin, sharp eyes, casual clothes. 

“For you it shouldn’t be too difficult either, to chat me up, only using your name.”

The other took a swig of his cocktail as if getting some liquid courage into himself. 

-“James.” he simply answered.

All of a sudden, James was the nicest name Jack had ever heard. He committed it to memory and continued. 

-“So, James, who leaves a guy like you alone in a pub with a guy like me?”

-“Your employee apparently.”

Jack snorted. 

-“Don’t blame me, she was the one that ran away the second I walked in.”

-“And why is that, I wonder?” James smirked.

-“So? You looking for a good time?” 

-“Not really, I came to talk to Gwen, but a certain someone scared her away. I should probably go as well.” 

-“Wait!” 

-“What?” James asked. He had already stood up and was about to leave. The other man seemed desperate, or something really close.

-“You wanna go do something sometime?”

-“Woah, are all Americans so upfront?” 

-“No actually, but I am and I’d like to see you again.”

-“No.” James said nonchalantly, after pretending to think for a few seconds.

-“What’d ’ya mean, no?”

-“your offer is flattering, but I’m not interested.” James smirked at the reaction he got. This American clearly wasn’t used to such types of rejection.

-“Well at least give me your number or last name! or take my phone number incase you change your mind.”

-“I won’t and it’s Noble by the way.”

-“What is noble, me?”

-"My name, it’s Noble. James laughed. He got up and shrugged on his coat."

-

Jack sat alone with a glass of scotch, that hadn’t gone to plan. All he could do was hope to find him again. Oh well, Cardiff bay wasn’t that big. He’d see him again eventually. He had to get home. He didn’t feel like getting someone else. Tomorrow he’d have to get up early, get back to his investigation in the university.


	5. University run in

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok ok ok. I haven't stopped writing in the meantime.  
> I have been working on other chapters and the chapter after this is nearly done aswell.  
> I hope updating will go faster now because now I'm getting into territory where i have already writting big chunks

The first thing he did the next morning was, get himself a cup of coffee. Usually he preferred tea but right now he needed it.  
he was about to leave for the university in Cardiff, get the keys from a lab at the office of some random professor he didn’t know.  
At that point, it was only the beginning of the day. The first time in so many weeks he could finally fully concentrate on his work and maybe even enjoy it again. 

He got his stuff, a laptop case, stuffing the necessary papers together in the same space with his laptop. He couldn’t be bothered to drag all his stuff to the lab today, there would probably be another chance for that later. Checking the time on his phone he realized it was time to go and catch his bus. he got up and put on his jacket. 

 

When he stepped outside, it was much colder than he expected. The wind coming from the bay and the sea made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. He shivered slightly and pulled his jacket closer to his body. 

The university was not that far away so only twenty minutes later he found himself in front of the door of that professor that would hand him the keys.

He knocked on the office door and heard an annoyed: “come in,” a few seconds later. 

A older man sat behind his desk, he looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here. His face had numerous wrinkles that clearly showed his age. James had a feeling this man wasn’t going to be an easy person to talk to. 

“Professor Davros?” James questioned. 

-“What do you want?” His scratchy voice answered. It sounded like he had had one too many cigarettes in his time. 

-“We had an appointment, I’m James noble.  
He extended his hand for a handshake. When he got no reaction he put his hand back to his side. “I’m from the university in London. They said you should have had a call from a professor Stoker, regarding the labs. I’m a transfer student, I mean not really a student, I just need access to the labs.” He babbled on. He laughed nervously when he got no reaction from the other.

-“Oh, yes. I’ll get them.” The man smirked and his temper took a U-turn all of a sudden. This unsettled James even more. 

Davros got up and went over to a storage cupboard.  
“I’ll show you where the labs are. There are two keys for the one you’re getting.” He cleared his throat, obviously struggling to speak clearly. “I’ll have one at all times, and when you are done in the lab at the end, I need the key that I’m going to give you, back.”

James nodded, “of course.”

They walked out of the office and down the hall. 

-“I can’t stay long, I got an interview with the police.”

-“Oh?” James perked up. 

-“There’s been some shady business in this university lately, enough so to get the police on our back. You stay out of trouble.” 

-“Yes, yes, I got the privilege of transferring, I’m not planning on ruining that chance, professor.”

-“Good.” The older man said strongly. He stopped in front of an old looking door and inserted the key in the lock and turned.

A clicking noise signaled the lock had been turned, and professor Davros pushed open the door. it seemed like the door was a bit stuck so he put all his weight behind it, until it finally creaked open. Davros stepped in and flicked on the lights.

“All equipment you might need is in that cupboard over there.” Pointed Davros. James just nodded, distracted by the room that had just been opened to him.  
The laboratory seemed a bit ancient. Everything was covered in dust, it seemed like it hadn’t been used in some time. At least he couldn’t see any suspicious chemical stains so he didn’t worry too much about hygiene apart from the copious amounts of dust everywhere. 

“Right, I’ll leave you to it. good luck.” He didn’t at all sound supportive. And with those words, he was left alone. The key still in the lock.

-

Over the rest of the day he kept himself busy with getting everything as clean as possible and stalling out every possible thing he could need. It was nearly dinner time when he was finished and he realized he hadn’t eaten much over the course of the day. 

He’d already done some mildly important research and everything was clean and where it belonged. He got out of the lab and went on his way home through the corridors. The exit was in sight when he heard several doors behind him slam. The doors he had only just passed through sounded like they had been roughly pulled open and left to slam shut. He heard shouting and the next second a man ran around the corner and straight into his back. Sprawling them both to the floor. Just a few seconds behind him were two others. Stopping in their tracks.  
The person that had run into James got up first, brushing himself off and seeing the other man on the floor. 

-“Oh god I’m sorry! Oh, it’s you.” heard James an American voice say. James knew that voice, it was that captain.  
He got up of the floor, shaking his head, not just a bit surprised. The other extended a hand and he took it gratefully. He looked at the others and was surprised to see Gwen among the two.  
The other was a man with short dark brown hair. He looked stressed out and irritable, ‘stay away from that guy.’ he thought. He was about to greet them when Gwen started.

-“My god, James I should have known we could’ve run into you here.”

-“Why? what does he do here?” The American questioned.

-“I’m currently doing some research in the facility, I’m working on my doctorate.” James answered in Gwen’s place.

-“So you got a key to a laboratory?!” Jack nearly shouted, apparently relieved beyond end.

-“Erm, yes.”

-“Gimme quick.” 

-“What?! wait a minute!”

Gwen now came forth and reassured him. “listen, James we need a chemical lab right now, we’ve got key evidence, DNA, that’s only gonna last for so long. Owen here needs to separate it from the liquid.”  
James considered for a moment, he couldn’t let everybody into university property but this was the police so… He made up his mind. “Ok, I’ll show you where it is.”

\- 

A few minutes later he was leaning on the counter near where Owen had started immediately analyzing the piece of evidence. 

The other two had slowed down a little bit and were less troubled since the evidence was actually being taken care of. Now they all just stood awkwardly while waiting for Owen to finish.

After another few minutes it seemed like Jack couldn’t bear the silence anymore, he seemed like he was about to break the silence when Owen cried out in frustration. Something was going wrong.

“What is it?” 

-“I’ve got some problems with the DNA, I can’t separate it!”

-“Ok, calm down, what do we do about it?”

-“I can’t do anything about it! I don’t know this lab!”

-“Wait!” James shouted above the rest. “I don’t have many supplies but I have salt, alcohol and hand soap.”

Owen looked at him and nodded. “Do it! it’s really our last hope.” Nodding, James ran up to one of the cabinets and got out some clear liquid. Meanwhile shouting at Owen where he could find the other necessary ingredients. Once they got everything together Owen started measuring everything up while James swirled the vial and added the substances to the mix.

Jack and Gwen looked at each other, not quite sure what was going on. When they had seen James look at Owen earlier they had gotten the impression that he had been slightly intimidated by Owen’s sheer power behind his stress frown. But now he seemed just fine, working like a near perfectly oiled machine.

Both Owen and James looked at the vial, seeing the clotting pieces of DNA swirl together in the liquid.  
-“What did you guys…” Jack started.

-“Soap, alcohol and a little salt.” Was all James said, repeating the list of ingredients to Jack, grinning. he passed the still swirling liquid to Owen who seemed to be relieved beyond end. Owen took the vial and nodded at James. 

-“Thanks, for the help. I didn’t know where I could find all that.”

-“You're welcome.” He smiled, he seemed to have realized with who he had been working. He fell back into his slightly intimidated position.

-“this gives us a few hours so we better hurry.” Owen explained. He turned to Gwen who nodded and went to the door, waiting for Owen. 

Owen pocketed the evidence and hurried out the door.

-“You get it save over to the police station and get it checked. I’ll meet you later.” Jack said.  
Gwen still smiled at James and quickly followed Owen out the door. 

-

James had an idea why Jack had sent his crew and had not gone with them himself, not that he had any intention to get that suspicion confirmed.  
the others had only just left and an awkward silence settled in the laboratory. After several seconds of just sort of staring and avoiding eye contact at all costs, James got his keys of one of the counters and headed for the door.

“Listen, uh, Jack I gotta go.”  
He seemed to have woken Jack out of his reverie he’d slowly drifted into. He looked at James, smiled and followed him to the door.  
“You need something else?” he asked Jack just in case.

-“Well actually, I stayed behind so I could talk to you for a minute.” 

James arched one of his eyebrows. Yes, there it was.  
They stepped out of the lab and he locked the door behind them. He had nearly forgotten about the mess that had been created in the hall but was quickly reminded when the exit came into view.

James looked around, the papers he had been carrying had all practically spread across the hall.  
He sighed and started to go down on his knees to pick them up. To his surprise, the American, who had been right behind him, got down on his knees as well and started picking them up. He did the same and got down to Jack’s level. 

“You don’t have to-“ he tried. But was interrupted by Jack.  
-“Oh don’t worry it’s my fault in the first place.” After picking up papers in silence James continued.  
-“So, what were you doing here?” 

-“Hah, you see usually I would say that that is confidential but I might as well. I’m a DI, Homicides to be more specific. You want more details?”

James grinned, trying not to be impressed. Then it hit him, homicide DI in the university, running around with apparently key evidence. His eyes widened and he swallowed. 

-“It’s ok James, look at me. You don’t have anything to do with this, don’t worry.”  
He snapped out of it. blowing out the breath he’d been holding. He wasn’t necessarily shocked that he had either touched something that belonged to a deadman or to a murderer but this whole situation reminded him of Harry. More the lack of police he could remember had helped.

-“Thanks,” he said anyway.

When the last of the papers had been gathered they both got up and sauntered to the entrance of the building. Jack still carrying most of the papers.

-“That’s a London accent, right? What are you doing here?” 

-“I could ask the same of you, American?”

-“Ha, I see. I’ll start. I Wasn’t happy where I stood in life, left, way too early, I see that now. Joined the army, did some shady business and somehow ended up here. And you?” 

-“short story? running away from my problems.” 

-“Yeah, I know that feeling, it’s like you’re giving in to the rest of the world. To your enemies even, like you’re letting yourself down. I know that feeling. It’s an old friend.” Jack tried to joke. 

James sighed. Maybe this guy wasn’t so bad after all. He looked sideways at the other. Still carrying his stuff, he noticed. They finally reached the entrance and Jack held the door open. 

“Thank you,” James smiled.

-“No problem. You still don’t want to go somewhere sometime. Like, it doesn’t have to be much. I’m ok for coffee if you want. My treat.” He smiled hopefully, even though he didn’t really have much faith.

-“Sure.” 

-“What?”

-“I said ok.” 

Getting himself together Jack grinned and looked at James. 

-“So then doc. I’ll leave you to it.” he looked at James who was in the middle of knitting his brow together at the new nickname he had just received. 

-“I’m not actually a doctor yet, captain.” he answered teasingly.

-“That name got taken away when I got fired but it’s nice isn’t it?”

-“It’s illegal that’s what it is.” James giggled. 

-“Just like it should be illegal to be this handsome.” James gaped at the answer and then started laughing. 

-“You are so sure of yourself that everybody in a hundred miles radius just wants to sleep with you are you?” 

Jack had started laughing as well, getting pulled into the infectious sound of James’s giggles. 

-“Well, my charms are working aren’t they? He took a step closer, nearly entering James’s personal space. 

-“Oh bloody- yes they are.” James declared. 

-“So tomorrow then?”

-“Sure. Call me?” He ripped a piece of, of one of his note papers and took a pen out of the back of his trousers. He got down his mobile number and handed the piece of paper to Jack. 

Jack looked at it. Put it in his wallet.  
Jack grinned. He handed the rest of the papers to James and said his goodbyes. Smiling to himself. they had a date tomorrow, he still had to call him but it was a done deal. They’d go have a drink and then see where the night would go. He hoped he would be able to get some privacy, not that he was planning anything. He wasn’t going to mess this one up and take it a day at a time and not rush into anything.

 

When Jack later came into the police office, everybody except Gwen had gone home. Exhausted after a long day of work.

“Ianto is not gonna like him.” she said a bit later over their drinks, In Jack’s office.

-“Ianto is just a fuckbuddy. I help him and he helps me. Mutual arrangement. Maybe it’s time for a more serious relationship, not the bending over a desk kind.”

Gwen looked at him, mildly disgusted but not surprised at the boldness of her superior.  
When his grin only grew wider she realized what she was leaning her elbows on and quickly sat further back in her chair and quickly retracted her arms.  
-“Well, he’s my friend so you better not mess that date up.”

He did a small salute. –“Well I’m due to meet him tomorrow so, I better not get too drunk. For you the same by the way, you still work for me.”

Gwen laughed. –“Since when do you care about drinking on the job.” 

-“Only after shift hours.”

-“Well I better go, Rhys is gonna wonder where I’m of to this time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you like it?  
> Please leave a review  
> I'm having some trouble with the character of sime peolple in my story...


	6. so much for a first date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> slight trigger warning for bad date writing and also dead people  
> gimme me some RnR pretty please
> 
> season 11 bby gotta love episode one

The next day, James officially started his routine. Not that he minded it one bit. He felt a lot safer and happier already. Late at night, he realized what he had arranged for himself the next day. He was looking forward to it but it didn’t make him any less nervous. It was about noon when Jack finally called.

He nearly missed it, having locked himself up once again. He’d been typing away on his laptop, reading equation and rechecking them.  
He walked up to the counter where his phone was buzzing away. Picked it up and accepted the call. 

“Hello?” He asked even though he had a good idea who it might be. The unknown number and the fact that he was expecting a call from Jack.

-“ Hi doc. Almost thought you weren’t gonna answer for a second.” He heard Jacks relieved voice say.

-“Yeah sorry, I didn’t hear it at first.”

-“That busy huh?” 

-“It’s fine. I’m free tonight if you still want…”

-“Yeah, that’s why I’m calling.”

-“Great!” James found himself looking forward again.

-“Let’s have a drink where we met. Is at seven ok? I would come earlier but my shift doesn’t end until six thirty.”

-“No it’s fine. See you there then?”

-“Ok, bye doc.” James snorted and hung up the phone. 

-

Later that evening, after having hung his lab coat on the coat rack. He collected all his papers and got on his way to get ready to meet up with Jack. He still had something about an hour.  
When he arrived at his apartment and had gotten ready it was about time for him to leave. He put on his favorite jacket and trotted over to where they were gonna have a drink.  
Jack was already there, sitting somewhere in the back, seemingly fidgeting with every last thing that might be out of place.  
He smirked, he couldn’t quite place Jack yet. He seemed like a leader and dominant, alpha sort of male but looking at him and walking up to him, he still seemed confident but looked like he wanted everything to be absolutely perfect.  
Jack noticed him walking in and waved him over. he was smiling and looked his usual gorgeous self. 

“Sorry I’m a bit late.” 

-“Oh, Nah. I’m early. Don’t worry about it. I was earlier done with my paperwork than I would have thought.” 

-“So… if we’re gonna do this.” James started. “I guess I already know what you do for a living. So… tell me more about yourself.” He continued awkwardly. 

-“Well. First of all, I can tell that you seem to be extremely stressed out about this.” for a second James looked like a deer caught in the headlights. Even more so with the large, pigmented eyes. 

-“Sorry, I guess I haven’t done this in a while.” 

-“How come? I mean you could be busy but an attractive guy like you I imagine should be able to fend off others with a stick,” Jack flirted.

James blushed, not quite sure what to say. -“Thanks. It’s just… I needed some time to get over some stuff. That’s why I moved to Cardiff. Just getting away from it all. Plus I knew Gwen here and I could borrow a lab from the university nothing more to be needed really.” 

-“So I told you about my work yesterday, although not much. Tell me about yours. Physics you said? the only physics I know are URMs but that’s where my knowledge stops.” Jack got the drink card and James took the hint and did the same. 

No it’s not like that it’s erm…” James laughed nervously, while quickly scanning the alcoholic beverages. “Black holes and theoretical space and time travel. It’s not much. I did some papers on it when I was in college in London. I decided to further work on it.”

-“Cool. Well, I catch murderers!” James giggled. –“What’s so funny?” Jack asked playfully.

-“Well it seems so fitting for you. you almost seem like some sort of superhero. I mean. In comparison to you, I look like a matchstick man, if you get what I mean.”

-“Why thank you. I’m sure, in your compact case that there is plenty of muscle present.” 

The flirting again. It made him blush terribly. But it seemed so fitting for him. 

-

They were both a bit drunk. Nothing to be concerned about but enough to make them both a bit too giggly and a bit too honest. It was fairly late at night. They were both getting closer and closer to each other. Things like a hand on the small of the others back were acknowledged but not minded. even encouraged.  
James realized that if this was gonna continue they couldn’t stay at that bar. Of course he wouldn’t feel comfortable if he went to Jack’s home or took Jack to his home but he wasn’t ready for the date to end.

They were both laughing about something Jack had said. this was truly fun.  
-“Wanna take a walk?” Jack asked. The fact that he arched one of his brows made James only expect there was an ulterior motive. Not that he at the moment minded it one bit.  
They got up after paying the waiter and shrugged on their Jackets. Jack dragged the other practically out of the pub and pulled him across the street towards the Plass of Cardiff.  
They kept running until they were right in the middle of the Plass. Just about next to the giant pillar erected from the center, still holding hands. They looked around. They were most certainly not the only people on the Plass. Other couples were also walking hand in hand and enjoying each other’s company.  
The moment seemed right. 

-“This is so nice.” James said, “I haven’t felt this relaxed in a while.” 

-“Don’t blame it all on me! I’m sure the alcohol helped too.” 

-“I didn’t drink much. I’m perfectly capable of thinking clearly.” 

Jack got closer, -“are you saying that I shouldn’t be worried about your ability to give consent if I were to, say, I don’t know, kiss you?”

Jack entered the other’s personal space, he leaned forward and pressed a chaste kiss to the other’s lips. it was as if a small current of electricity flashed between them both. something that didn’t need a second thought to do again. This time James initiated the kiss. It was longer and Jack dared to swipe his tongue along the other's lips. after a while the pulled back for breath and Jack smiled at the other. 

-“Listen, Jack,” said James while embracing the other. “I’d love to stay, I really would but I gotta go. We could still meet another time if you want.”

-“Oh! I’d love to! I’ll just…”

-“I live here around the corner.” 

-“Well I guess etiquette tells me I should escort you home, now.” 

-“Bloody charmer.”

-“I try my best.” They crossed the Plass and headed into the direction of James’ apartment. Jack noticed their hands were still linked from earlier and decided not to say anything about it. 

They arrived at James’s apartment building and finished talking, James still laughing at something Jack said. they were about to say goodbye when Jack nearly flew at James’s lips. James nearly jumped but quickly started kissing back.

It got more intense. Mouths opened up for one another and tongues met in the middle. Jack took advantage off his greater height and slowly back the other up against the side of the building most hidden from view. When they broke the kiss for a second to breathe, they noticed they were in the mouth of an alley. It was darker than the rest of the streets, since the lantern couldn’t reach the thin opening. Not willing to let the darkness distract them they continued. Hands started roaming and James realized that they best cut it off before it went too far and either one of them did something they would later regret.  
He broke the kiss. Giving Jack one last peck as to let him know he wasn’t rejecting him. Jack backed up slightly and grinned. 

James laughed breathlessly. “So I take it you want to meet again soon?”

-“Yeah. I’d like that.”

James straightened out his clothes, although his hair did look still a bit ruffled. Just when they were about to walk out, once again holding hands, a noise in the back of the alley caught Jack’s attention. 

-“Wait!” He stopped James, who turned around to look at Jack. 

-“Oh please Jack you’re not actually going into the alley, are you? that’s asking for something cliché to happen. It’s probably just a cat or something.”

-“I can’t help it,” Jack laughed. “When’s the last time you had an adventure? Going into woods and stuff. You did do that as a kid didn’t you?”

-“Uhm Jack I’ve lived in Chiswick my whole life. There are no woods there.”

“Well this is almost as good. C’mon!” he pulled James deeper into the alley. 

Going deeper, it still got darker and more gloomy. “I can’t believe this is our first date.” James half snorted and grumbled. 

Jack chuckled. They were about halfway down the alley when the reflecting eyes of a feline creature came into view.  
“See? told you! it’s just a stupid cat.” James nearly jumped out of his skin when the cat dashed forward and ran between their legs. That was it for him. 

-“C’mon Jack lets go back.” 

-“Wait a minute, you smell that?” Jack said quietly still focused on the end of the alley. 

James inhaled deeply and immediately wished he hadn’t done that. He nearly choked on rising bile. Before managing to keep it down. 

-“What the hell is that smell?” 

-“That is the smell of death.”

Jack went deeper into the alley. At the end, he pushed aside some garbage and came face to face with the half decomposed and deathly white skin of a dead woman.  
All he could do was stare, while his mind did all the work. A grimace on his face. Behind him, he heard James gasp and try to once again keep down bile. 

So much for a nice first date.


	7. scraping up the pieces

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really putting in a lot of effort to keep focussed and writing.   
> if you want to give some RnR that would be nice...
> 
> if I missed any plot holes or something let me know. this is what I am most worried about. forgetting or doubling back on data or something

Police lights flashed and officers cleared the scene of any bypassers. James was still a bit shaken but seemed to be doing okay in Jacks opinion. He was taking it a lot better than most other people would have done. Nonetheless, he was being swarmed by officers. He just looked he wanted to go home, maybe even call his mom or something. Sadly, there was nothing he could do at the moment.

James was being questioned by their young, relatively new edition to the force; Ianto Jones. The last person Jack could use right now, especially in James’s case. Ianto was a kind, young man, which didn’t mean he didn’t have his sharp edges.  
The look on James’s face showed him he was a bit taken aback by Sergeant Jones’s quick methods. Seeing Ianto roll his eyes and then walk back into the direction of Jack, he quickly pretended not to be looking. 

He still saw how James was given some paperwork and was escorted out of the crime scenes perimeters.  
Ianto ducked under some of the blue tapes and stood next to Jack.  
“How did you find the body again? I mean, he told me you practically dragged him into an alley. How much did that hookup cost you? and then why not meet at your apartment or something? Also, you could have just called me… since that’s apparently all I do these days and I don’t cost that much money, by the way.”

-“Ok, enough with the questions. And I’d appreciate it if you weren’t so rude to him. if you remember we had an arrangement, we’re not dating so you don’t get to be mad when I try something serious with someone else ok? now get back in line sergeant!” Jack finished angerly. He really hoped this hadn’t royally screwed his chances. Still angry he went back over to where the body was found and looked at the scene before him. the body looked like it had been lying here for two days, maybe a little more. Blood had already clotted, and collected within the body, near the ground. It looked like tumors, stuck against the ground, with a purple and blue coating. He sighed. This was definitely not the first time he had seen such a thing, wouldn’t be the last. She looked young, in her twenties and was wearing formal clothes, maybe from work? He’d have to check if anybody had been reported missing these last few days. 

From where he stood he could see a wound on the back of her head. He could imagine a blow with a heavy object to the back of the head could be fatal but when he scanned his eyes down her body he could see bruises around her neck. The post-mortem would have to decide the actual cause of her death.  
Another thing was that this was probably not the crime scene. At least a sign of a struggle should be visible if she had been alive when she and the murderer got here. Another thing to look out for.

Still slightly annoyed with Ianto he oversaw the cleanup of the scene 

-

James woke up, that is to say, if he ever was asleep. Whenever he closed his eyes he came face to face again with that poor woman in the alley. He still couldn’t quite believe that had happened just a few meters from where he was lying now.  
He took his phone at checked the time. five in the morning. That wasn’t too early to call someone, was it? he hesitated, he had to talk to someone. Usually, the first he called was his sister, but he had the sneaking suspicion she wouldn’t appreciate such an early call. definitely with her busy life with her job and fiancé. He shook his head and lay the phone back, tried to go back to sleep for another hour or two before his alarm would go off. 

He was back again in the alley, together with Jack, the body still on the floor. The ashen white skin reflecting the moonlight and the glazed over eyes looking at him.  
He couldn’t do it. he took his phone back of the nightstand and dialed Donna’s number.

“Donna?” He asked pathetically when the phone went over and he heard the start of a flaming about people still trying to sleep. 

She immediately stopped when she heard his voice. -“Oh, hey spaceman, you okay?” she asked gently, as though not to frighten a small, caged animal.

-“Some stuff happened last night, and I don’t really know what to do…” he started, and then proceeded to tell her everything, but leaving out the part about Jack, he really didn’t feel like he wanted her to know about his romantic interests, it also didn’t seem to matter at the time. 

He told her about the cat that nearly made him jump out of his skin and the terrible smell that had only gotten stronger the closer he had come to the body. Throughout, Donna hummed and made calming sounds. When James was finally finished she started. 

-“Well, spaceman, I leave you alone for three bloody days, trouble magnet you are! Maybe you should go and talk to the police if you’re so worked up about it.” 

-“I need to know what happened but I also don’t want to get involved, you know?” He tried to explain his feelings. 

-“Well, I’m sure they’ll at least tell you what happened when they know. Just talk to them. And if they’re hot that’s a bonus. So take it.”

-“Thanks, Donna.”

-“Any time Spaceman, just please don’t call me this early again, will you? you might be in Cardiff but that doesn’t mean I won’t personally come and ruin your night rest myself.”  
-“I won’t.” he smiled and hung up the phone, that had genuinely helped, he knew now what to do. 

He had by accident gotten involved in what seemed to be some kind of murder plot, he wasn’t about to blame it all on Jack but he was sure as hell going to ask for some answers. Also, what did Donna say? He had the sneaking suspicion he hadn’t need to mention Jack for her to know another man had been involved. Donna, always ever so observant. 

-

“So, give me details,” Jack said to Gwen, rushing down a corridor. The next morning. Towards where the interrogation room was. The body had been identified and been transported to the morgue. James had gone home. Which was just next to where the body had been found. Ianto hadn’t helped either. 

Getting his mind back to the present he listened to Gwen and what she was saying, he’d have to call Doc another time. Maybe he was just busy as well? Not now though. 

They had found out the victim, Sadie Bennet, a twenty-eight-year-old had been working at one of Cardiff’s most prestigious restaurants. She had only a brother left of her family and didn’t seem to have a criminal record. 

They had informed the brother of her passing and had told him they were treating her death as suspicious. This had wrecked the man. Or so Gwen had shouted at him, only slightly unprofessionally, when she got back.

“Well, you know most of it. just her brother, Carl, left. He’s a little older. Thirty years old. Lives in Cardiff has a Job in the Millennium Center. Does have a history with light drugs though. Nothing much, just the odd taking in custody. The last one was over ten years ago. Since then, nothing else”

-“Ok, thanks, Gwen. See you after.”

He unlocked the door and stepped into the interrogation room. 

Carl was sitting at the table, with a glass of water at his side.  
He looked up when he heard the door open. His eyes were slightly red and he looked like he hadn’t slept at all. He knew how that one felt. 

“Morning, Mister Bennet, my name is D.I. Harkness, I’ll be leading the investigation.” He placed some files on the table and sat right on the opposite side of Carl. 

“I’m sorry about your sister. But we will do anything we can to catch the one who did this. I’m just here to ask you a few questions and then we will leave you to it. you can still ask for counseling or someone that will help you with the grieving process. You will be kept up to date, of course.” 

When Carl only nodded, silently did he continue.

“Were you and your sister close? Did you see her often?” He started carefully.

-“Yes, very often. We didn’t live that far away from each other, y’know? We were close. Like siblings are supposed to be.” 

-“Where were you two nights ago?” Carl looked up, shocked. “I’m sorry I have to ask this, but it’s just so we can rule you out.” 

He swallowed. –“I was picking my ex-girlfriend up at the restaurant where Sadie used to work before she died. They were colleagues. I’m sorry I can’t say what time it would have been. The place was empty though. We’re trying to get back together, me and Sarah. I can give you her number if you want.” 

-“That would be most helpful, thanks, Carl.” 

-“I’ll gladly help.” He tried to smile but failed miserably.

-“Now could you think of anyone that would want to hurt Sadie? This must be very difficult for you. but did she have any problems with friends? Or colleagues? Did she mention anything to you.”

-“Yeah. There was this one girl. Also in the restaurant. Sadie was about to become the manager, that other girl had been working there for a while longer. Sadie told me once she lashed out at her.”

Jack appreciated the help this man was providing but wasn’t sure about how he spoke of these women as girls. Either this was something more or he had just some really weird complex. 

-“Thank you, Mr. Bennet. An officer will come and get you shortly, you can leave all the names and data at my college’s desk. I’ll keep in contact, if there is something to tell, you’ll be the first to know.”

Jack shook the man’s hand and got up, then left the room.

-

Later that morning he made the fateful call, hoping Jack would still want him after the affair with the alley and Ianto. He still didn’t know what to make of that guy.  
He looked up his contacts and selected Jack’s name. He had put the contact in his phone the day before. The day of the whole body ordeal. He was scared, but he needed answers.  
He put the phone to his ears and listened to the phone beeps. The phone got picked up and he heard the mechanical version of Jack’s voice. 

-“Doc? Is that you? are you ok? I’m so sorry about yesterday but I couldn’t leave that body. I’m sorry you had to see that.”

-“Jack! It’s fine. I’m was just a bit shocked but I’m okay. I was just wondering if after all this you still would want to talk sometime, I would gladly go on a second date. I just need to know what is going on.”

-“Yeah, yeah. Of course. I don’t really know much but I’ll tell you what is happening.”

-“Great!” 

-“I’m really busy at the moment. I just came out of an interrogation with someone. I now need to go to her workplace and ask questions. I can probably meet at the earliest in three days or so. I’m really sorry but I have a feeling this is not the end of this.”

-“It’s ok. just do your job, Jack. I understand. I’ve got a lot of work as well.”

-“Come to my place? It’s a bit more private. I’ll text you the address. If you want?” Jack tried hopefully.

James would be lying if he told him he wasn’t nervous. But he was okay with it, strangely enough. 

-“Yeah, that’s fine.”

-“Great! I’ll make it nice.” Realizing what he had just said, he tried to laugh it off. 

“I meant the date you know.” He heard James snigger at the other end of the line. He could almost see James blushing at the remark. 

-“Sure you do. See you then?”

-“Yeah! Well, goodbye then.” 

James put down his phone and got a seat, that went well. he was proud of himself for talking to Jack. Himself from six months ago wouldn’t have looked back at the man. Maybe he did really like Jack.

-

It seemed like his quiet night had been disturbed once again. another body had been found this time of another young woman. She had been identified. She didn’t seem to have any apparent connection with the other victim but the bruises around her neck were the same. She also seemed to have a needle prick in her shoulder. He’d have to ask if Sadie Bennet had the same. He would have thanked his gut, he knew Sadie wouldn’t be the last one they would find. But now he just felt guilty about not being able to save these women.

He couldn’t do very much at the moment. He had a date with James in three days, a restaurant to search, another murder to investigate. And a lot to explain to his sort of boyfriend. These next few days were going to be fun. For now, all he could do was curl up in his bed with his dog, Janet, and hope for the best in the future.


	8. The Next Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh shit, did this crappy story just turn into a whodunnit?!  
> it's not gonna be a typical murder story so it's still gonna be Doctor Who-ish.  
> I'm going a bit quicker because if have a bit of a holiday!   
> hope you like it.
> 
> if anything doesn't make sense you can ask... I'm trying my best to make it as coherent as possible but this is my first   
> -big work  
> -whodunnit story  
> -love story

They had found another body, Jessica Kingston, the cause of death had been the same for both women. After the post-mortem on Sadie Bennet a needle prick in the shoulder had been found and in both women were the same, yet unidentified chemicals discovered. The chemicals were currently being investigated, in a lab by Owen. The family of Jessica was to be informed, at least they were trying to. At this point, they hadn’t found any family, only friends, and colleagues. The first one they would ask about her death was the one person she saw most often; her boss. That happened to be Mayor Rassilon.

-

It was Just Gwen and him for this one. He knew he shouldn’t expect a lot of resources but he could always keep dreaming.   
They walked into the restaurant, walking straight for the staff members and starting conversations with them, asking if they knew something about Sadie, or what happened to her.   
It didn’t seem like they had any luck with anyone. When they talked to the retiring manager, they only got sad stories and condolences from the other workers. When they got permission to get some of the employees in a more private place, they directly headed for Sarah.

 

She was just about done with her job so it was no problem for her to just talk for a while, although she did seem nervous.   
They got her apart and started the conversation without much warning, as to ensure she didn’t have time to lie.   
-“good morning, Miss Brown. My name is D.I. Harkness and this is my colleague D.S Cooper. We’re here to ask you a few questions regarding a colleague of yours, Sadie Bennet?”

-“Yeah, I heard about her, poor woman, was just about to take over the restaurant as well,” she told them sadly, although she didn’t seem to realize the weight of the situation fully.

-“We’re just here to confirm an alibi, if it holds out, you’re in the clear as well so we won’t bother you much longer if you just cooperate for a minute.”

-“Okay, sure.” She seemed a bit taken aback. 

-“Where were you two nights ago? At about one am?” he started boldly.

-“Oh, my ex came to pick me up. I had a late shift, cleaning the place, you know? He came to pick me up here. We went to his house and had a good time, the usual. I hadn’t seen him in a while. We’re trying to see if getting back together is an option. That okay, you need any more info?” 

Jack smiled at her, although it wasn’t genuine. –“Yeah, that’ll do, just fine.” He scribbled the last of that on his notepad and shot a meaningful look at Gwen.   
“You keep talking to Miss Brown? I’ll go see to Miss Miller.” He told her, before walking off.

-

“Miss Miller I’d like to talk to you for a moment, Cardiff police.” He quickly flashed his badge. She looked him up and down, Jack had the feeling she was almost checking him out.   
-“Is this about Sadie?” She asked, slightly annoyed. 

-“Yes actually, apparently you and her and had a bit of a fight a few days ago.”

-“I never did anything to her, if that is what you’re implying.”

-“So enlighten me, what did you do, then?” 

-“Well, of course I had a problem with her, I used to be the next one in line to take over this bloody restaurant, then she blunders in and takes that all away from me. Of course I’m upset. I worked for all this. and then with the drug scandal, I’m lucky I got to keep my job, and the restaurant got to keep existing.” She huffed. Jack pulled up his brow. Drug scandal. He’d have to see to that one.

-“Well, you’re probably glad she’s dead then.” She looked at him angerly.

-“If you are implying, again, that I had something to do with her death then you are terribly wrong.” 

-“So where were you?”

-“I was at home, with my husband. Like always”

-“Thank you, Miss Miller. You’ll still have to come to the office for an official statement.”

-

It was around noon when he got an appointment with the mayor of Cardiff. He was lucky, this was the town mayor after all. 

They’d never actually met, but he had been in regular, non-direct contact. When the mayor finally arrived at the police station, it was nearly the end of Jack’s work day. He hadn’t been able to go anywhere because he was waiting for the mayor, but he had done a considerable amount of paperwork.   
When, finally, Gwen came to get him, telling him that the mayor was in the interrogation room, he quickly got up. Ready to get his day over and done with.   
When he walked in, it seemed like he had somehow startled the other. The way he looked up and nearly tipped over his glass of water. 

“Crikey! Detective, you nearly scared me to death! Excuse me, I’m really anxious. I can’t help but feel like this has something to do with me. 

Legally, Jack wasn’t allowed to crack up in an official interrogation, but internally he was smirking away at the paranoid man. 

-“I assure you, Sir Rassilon. We will find such a connection, which there is likely not, we will find it. now, I have to ask you.” when the other nodded, he continued  
It turned out, she had been working for the mayor since he first was elected. She had been his personal assistant, doing all manner money and those sort of things. She would’ve known everything the mayor spend or made, she was a person he completely trusted. Jack still was suspicious of the mayor, but he was the mayor after all. He’d have to let him go.

-

Over the last few days, he hadn’t really gotten time to kick back and do nothing for a few hours, ideally. But a few minutes were apparently too much to ask.  
So that was what he was doing now. Sleep in, maybe do some work from home, watch some television. Not that he usually liked those types of entertainment but today, he thought, he should be allowed to take a day off. He’d have to go and eat later as he hadn’t really gotten the chance to buy groceries. That was for later though. He got his laptop and plopped himself down on his couch. He took an hour out of his day to check the latest part of his thesis for any mistakes but later got himself dressed to go and get some air.  
He was walking down the streets of Cardiff Bay, just getting to know everything. The only things he had seen around here, were the university and of course, the Plass. The place where Jack and he had shared a kiss.   
Speak of the devil because just then he heard his mobile. It had been a text.   
It was jack, texting him his home address. Two more days and he’d get his answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> to be honest this was just info dumping and also a bit of a filler   
> the next chapters are going to be a bit more exciting...


	9. forging a bond

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> god damn, it's been long, nearly a month!  
> well, I'm back, mostly.  
> most of the next chapters are written only there are some continuity mistakes here and there...  
> shouldn't take too long.

James stood in front of Jack’s door. he had been thinking about this all week but now he hesitated. What would happen if he went inside now? He really liked Jack but was he ready to take it a step further? He knew he couldn’t. he just wasn’t comfortable yet.  
Would Jack understand? He hoped. It seemed like he had had some sort of a relationship with that Jones guy. It couldn’t possibly be anything else because the second he told sergeant Jones he was there with Jack the young man just sort of went for his guts. He had seemed Jealous, James couldn’t really blame him though.  
He’d also always been a more jealous type, he hoped he wouldn’t jump for someone’s throat though, although he wasn’t quite sure. He’d never really been with someone he would want to ‘protect’ like that. He also never seemed to be in the position to get jealous.

He’d been standing at Jack’s door for about five minutes when he realized he should probably go in. he’d been the one to nag the other, he better go through with it. He reached for the doorbell and pressed the one that said ‘J. Harkness.’ 

When he was finally in front of Jack’s apartment door, he took a deep breath and knocked. The door finally opened and Jack came to stand in the doorway the stress seemed to fall off his shoulders. A smile crept onto his lips as he saw the excited smile on Jack’s handsome face.  
“Hey!” Jack said happily, embracing the other. “How are you?”

“Great!” They looked at each other for a second and shared a quick kiss, that had them both smiling. 

“Come in, also…” He was about to warn James about his nut of a dog, when said dog came bolding excitedly around the corner. James looked at her and laughed. He bent down a bit to carefully start petting her and got boulder when he saw she enjoyed it very much.  
-“Aw, who are you, then?” He cooed. 

“Janet, I was going to warn you, she is a bit weird sometimes.” 

-“Ooh, but she’s so cute, aren’t you girl?” Janet just looked at him weirdly and took the opportunity to go over to Jack and start begging with him. 

-“No, Janet.” Janet quickly got the message and went off back to the living room. 

“Come along Doc, I just got the kettle boiling. You want coffee or tea?” 

-“Tea, please.” He followed him through the hall and plopped himself down on the chair Jack pointed to. 

A minute or so later, Jack came back in with two steaming cups of tea. He planted one in front of James and kept one for himself. 

-“So, I know you’ll probably want some answers, but I just need to know if we’re okay.” He hesitated, “are we?” 

-“Yeah,” he said, trying to relax. “I thought you wouldn’t want to anymore.” he had really been irrationally scared about that, although it shouldn’t really have scared him, since he still was somehow in contact with this guy.  
-“Why would I not want to anymore? that fiasco was my fault, I’d like to make it up to you. starting with helping you with this. Where do you want to start?”

-

Over the next few weeks they got closer and closer, even though they were both busy they kept seeing each other and every day just falling that little more in love. James wouldn’t be able to utter those words but maybe later.  
After they’d talked about what happened in the alley they just relaxed together. James had almost expected sex but he knew he wouldn’t have been comfortable back then. Now though? He felt comfortable around Jack, he knew they could talk about issues. One though had been a little bit difficult, not for their budding relationship but for James himself.  
It had all started when they went out one evening. Jack had mysteriously walked with him to a part of town he hadn’t been to before, Jack had taken it upon himself to show him around the city some more because he knew his soon to be Doctor was something comparable to a hermit. They’d been chatting about Jack’s case James had so personally witnessed.  
Trotting down another street and taking another left they found themselves in a small street, not an alley, just a no car street. 

“So? Where are we actually going? You haven’t told me anything yet,” he pouted.

-“We’re here.” Jack smiled. They stood in front of a small, comfortable looking restaurant. “dinner! My treat!”  
-“Oh, you didn’t have to, Jack.” 

-“Yes I did, we haven’t actually gotten a real date like this.” 

-“Yeah… I’d like that.” Just then he heard his phone going off, he was about to ignore it for Jack’s sake but Jack nodded that he didn’t mind it. He plucked it out of his pocket and accepted the call, it was Donna. He was about to happily say hello when he got a sad, “James?” She was calling him by his name, so it had to be serious. 

-“Donna? you okay? Did something happen to grandad?” he asked, scared.

-“No, no it’s just. You know, when you did that interview with the police? But they couldn’t really do anything because of lack of evidence, well this evening the police came to our house since you moved, apparently, the boy you got out of that bastards grimy hands came forward. He told them what happened. But you’re needed for identification.”

-“Oh,” he answered in a small voice. Jack looked up, slightly shocked at how his Doc’s mood had changed like the London weather. 

-“I’ll call you back, okay?” He continued. 

-“don’t worry about it, I’ll call tomorrow, kay spaceman?” James just nodded even though she couldn’t see him, showing Jack how dazzled he was. He wondered what could change the happy man’s mood so quickly. 

-“Are you okay?” James just nodded and averted his gaze. Jack didn’t believe it for a second, though he quickly wrapped the other up in a hug and quickly felt the other’s shoulders shake lightly. He rubbed his back, up and down and felt the other moisten his shirt with his tears. This must have really caught him off guard.  
He sighed and rested his cheek to the other’s cheek. James pulled back and wiped his eyes underneath his glasses. “Wanna talk about what’s up?” 

-“You probably don’t want to know about my stupid drama.”

-“No, please tell me what’s bothering you.” he took the other’s hand and pulled him along for another walk. 

-“Uh, it’s just something from a few months ago, had some trouble with an ex.” 

-“What happened?”

-“You could say I walked in on him assaulting a kid. I got him out but I was less lucky, then the neighbor came to take a look at what was happening and called the police. I don’t really remember anything from that, I just remember waking up in the hospital with my grandad next to me. I moved to Cardiff because I walked into him again. I couldn’t live there anymore.” 

-“So what’s got you so upset again?” although he had a pretty good idea. 

-“There wasn’t enough evidence, you probably know more about that stuff, but the boy went to the police and reported Harry this evening. I need to go back there and redo the interview I did when it had only just happened.” He quickly whipped his eyes and continued. “God I can’t believe I’m standing here bloody crying” 

-“No, it’s a shitshow, you’re allowed to feel sad because what happened.” Jack took the other’s dampened glasses off of his nose and wiped them on his shirt. “I really like these so you better take good care of them.” He smiled. The other gave a wobbly smile as well, still sort of crying but quickly getting over it as well. -“It’s gonna be okay. You want me to come along when you have to go to the police?”

“Yeah. It’s gonna take a while though, I don’t imagine it happening in the next few weeks.”

-“Been there, police are funny like that. it is gonna be okay though, and after that, you can forget all about that guy."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter is smut. might want to skip that one if that stuff isn't your cup of tea.


	10. completing the bond

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my sweet readers this is a smut scene  
> the tags did change!  
> so you all better be carefull  
> I wonder if there is anything above explicit because that might be in the right place for this

Jack got a knock on his door, Janet looking up from her slumber near his feet at the sound. She started excitedly running around. The detective got up from behind his desk. He looked through his office window and saw James standing there, waiting. Jack noticed he was wearing his glasses again. He opened the door and Janet took the opportunity to run out and her usual excited runaround.  
It seemed like James hadn’t expected a rabbit dog to emerge first, but accepted it and give her a quick petting.  
“Oh, well hello, Janet.” He looked up at Jack that had now managed to emerge from his office, after Janet.  
-“I’ll just stay inside if you don’t need me,” Jack said playfully.  
-“Oh, you big drama queen!” James scrunched up his face. His thick turtle shell frames moving with it. -“You’re wearing your glasses again,” Jack stated.  
-“You don’t miss a thing detective! I don’t know, after what you said about them, I figured you’d like it if I wore them more, also they don’t annoy me as much as contact lenses do.” He said, thoughtfully.

-“I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again. they really suit you.”

-“Thanks.” He looked the other in the eye. “Now you’re just trying to butter me up!” He tried to look humble. It wasn’t really working though. -“What for?! I would never.” Jack feigned shock. 

-“I really wonder why you, our big drama queen, aren’t an actor.” He looked down at Janet and gave her another petting. “Do you know why?” Janet just wagged her tail, not understanding what the strange human was telling her. -“Why are you asking her?” Jack questioned, backing into his office to turn off the lights and grab his coat.

-“Well, she’s the one that lives with you, isn’t she?” 

-“She’s thick as plastic. Good evening by the way.” He finished lovingly.

The other smiled brightly, then went in for a peck on the lips.  
-“You all set to go?”

-“Yep. Just need Janet’s leash.” He patted his coat down, checking if it was in one of his pockets. At that, Janet took the opportunity to dash down the hall of the police offices, out of sight in mere seconds. Jack sighed, “she’ll be fine.” He grabbed James’s hand and started walking home together.

When they finally pushed open the door of his apartment, James carrying some takeaway and Jack trying to unleash Janet, it was already past eight PM.  
Jack got a couple of plates and put them on the table while the other was trying to open up the packets with a rabbit dog around his feet, also trying to get a piece.

“Dammit, Janet! Stop it!” The dog didn’t listen and continued to jump up at James’s legs. "Take it!" he threw a piece of chicken at her and she greedily gorged it down. She just continued her mad begging until Jack finally stopped at the table and put the plates down.

Janet stopped her high pitch barking when she saw her owner glaring at her, silently daring her to continue harassing, what she thought was, her owner’s mate. 

-“How’d you do it, Jack?" Jack plopped down at the table and took himself some of the food. “Strong masculine scent.”

James choked on another piece of chicken. –“Kidding. Or am I?”

-“Suppose we’ll find out about that later,” James answered suggestively. He smirked. 

Jack continued to eat, holding him up on that one. 

-

James realized the snogging was getting out of hand, but when he thought about it he really was comfortable. Jack was someone he trusted and if he would admit it to himself actually loved. So he decided to take it a little further. –“You know what I said earlier?” Jack seemed pleasantly surprised with the turn of the situation.  
“You want to do it now?” He asked, between kisses.

-“Yes, unless you’ve got something else to do?.” 

-“You sure? This isn’t just something you go along with.” 

-“Don’t treat me like a virgin, Jack.” 

“Right, sorry.” He apologized, grabbing the other’s jaw lightly and leaving light kisses on his lips. 

He grabbed the other’s hips and pulled the warm body against his own. Backing him up and toppling onto the bed, both of them giggling and connecting their lips again. his hands started wondering again and soon Jack’s hand was underneath the other’s shirt.  
James got annoyed when instead of hot skin he was met with a cotton shirt and a jeans pants. He started tugging on Jack’s shirt, who got the hint and pulled it over his head, revealing his muscular chest and going back to kissing. He did the same to James, taking off his shirt as well and throwing it behind him, smirking.

James quickly pulled Jack closer to his body. He cupped his arse and pulled him down, feeling his erection brush against his own. Things started moving faster, as Jack quickly discarded his trousers and threw away his socks. Meanwhile the other was doing the same, struggling with his trousers.

Soon both they were only wearing their pants. Jack soon resumed kissing, his hands traveling down until he was met with only a thin layer of fabric covered erection. He massaged it, the other quickly got fed up with the gentle caress and taking the hand in his own and shoving it determinedly down his pants. The rough hands started stroking and squeezing him, he was scared that if Jack kept it up, he would soon reach completion.

Luckily his pants were pulled down, revealing his naked skin to the chill air.

-“You got condoms?” James' hands traveled down and hooked his fingers the back of Jack's underpants and pulled them down. The pants fell from Jack’s hips and revealed his sizeable erection. He connected their lips again, his hand caressing anything he could reach but still keep his weight of the man underneath him.

-“U-huh,” Jack reached to his bedside cabinet, fumbling blindly. He opened one of the drawers and managed to pull out a small packet and after a second time a small tube.  
He tore open the packed, it fell from his hands but was quickly caught by the other, who smirked and got it out of the wrapper.

Jack pulled the other more upright, so he was leaning against the headboard. He knew what the other was doing when he felt warm hands touch his cock. He held back a groan, one that came out anyway when he felt the piece of silicone unroll over his erection and then felt the cold, liquid feeling of lubricant being smeared onto himself, maybe just a little bit too thorough to be just spreading lubricant.  
His hands traveled down to return the favor when he felt the open bottle being pushed into his hands. 

This was enough affirmation to get some on his fingers and prepare his lover. He smeared some over the tight entrance, not yet entering him. when he felt the body pushing against his fingers, attempting to get him inside, only then did he give in.  
He pushed one inside when he felt that the other had gotten used to the one he added another one. He started thrusting, James meeting him halfway. When the fingers disappeared, James groaned in frustration, while Jack stroked his cock one last time and took hold. He positioned himself over his lover and gave the other one last, gasping kiss. “You okay with this?”

-“Dammit, Jack you literally just fucked me with your fingers and you’re asking this now?”  
“Right.” –“It’s okay, can’t ever be too sure, so, are you ready? 

-“Oh hell yes.” He gasped. For a second he just nudged James’s entrance enjoying the warmth there.  
The pressure increased tenfold and the blunt tip started gliding, gently in. it was as if Jack was testing the grounds.

Pain thrummed at the base of James’s spine, he wasn’t used to the, although slow and gentle, penetration of such a girth. A few lines of distress must have appeared on his face, because Jack immediately held still. As if he was a deer, caught in the headlights. 

Quickly enough the pain subsided and he got the strength to lift up his legs and wrap them loosely around Jack’s back. It had started hurting less, he had finally gotten the strength to let him know he was ready for more.

“You ok?” he heard Jack ask, although he seemed to be panting heavily. He was taking a lot of effort to not just start ramming into the exquisitely tight, and hot heaven. It felt amazing. The small taste he had gotten already, made him want to beg for more.

-“Yeah, just uncomfortable there, for a minute,” James said while squirming just a little to get in a better position. He accidentally squeezed the cock that was halfway up his arse, making Jack twitch inside him. 

The hiccup of pleasure James let loose made Jack smirk. 

-"There’s more of it, where that came from.” He smirked. James just laughed breathlessly, already shaky because of the small jolts of pleasure. His laugh turned into a quiet moan when Jack started moving, slowly. Getting more bolder with every passing second. 

At this moment their mouths met, in an open-mouthed kiss. Jack had previously been exploring his face and neck with his mouth but now took the time to gradually get to know the other’s sweet mouth as well. he pushed past the others open lips and explored his mouth, running his tongue along his teeth and battling the other tongue expertly. thrusts grew more intense and he changed from short and shallow after he saw the other had adjusted enough, to long and deep. 

He broke the sloppy kisses, the sounds he had previously been swallowing with the exploration of the others mouth, now broke free into the warm space. He angled himself better, just that little tiny bit up, and nudged the golden spot.

The scream it tore from the other’s mouth and the possibly involuntary squeeze of the tight passage that was wrapped around him, made Jack choke out an animalistic sound. A sound he was sure he’d be embarrassed about in any other situation. It made his eyes glaze over and make the commonsense fly out the non-existent window. 

-“Aah! yes, Jack!” James screamed in excitement, his fingernails scraping light red trenches into Jack’s back. Something that only spurred him on to hear it again.

Soon they found a rhythm, where both met in the middle. Thrust after thrust, pushing into, and pulling out of the body beneath Jack. The obscene noises the other was making going straight to his cock and down his whole body until it reached the tips of his toes and tightened the knot in his lower stomach. 

“Jack oh, fuck. Again. yes, there!” James groaned in time with his thrusts. He should have known the other would be vocal in situations like these. He, himself seemed to lose all control because of his Doc. He liked the idea of that ‘his’, in a way he was truly claiming what was his, something he knew he would probably never have the strength to let go, ever again. His limbs were like feathers because of the other. 

He didn’t know how long he would be able to last, the last thing he would want at a passionate moment like this was to come embarrassingly early. He almost automatically seemed to slow down a little, still thrusting but more in pace that would keep them both satisfied but not teetering on the edge of pure, orgasmic bliss. The other just moaned, he hoped in agreement, because at this rate neither would last long.

He cast his eyes downward and inspected his lover. a healthy flush spread across his cheeks, his freckles almost completely disappearing because of it. His thick eyelashes were resting on his cheeks. His arms were grabbing onto any part of Jack they could reach, as were his legs. Still thrusting, Jack looked down, to where the other’s arse was sweetly accommodating his cock, and choked. Quickly looking back up, out of fear he’d come, he saw his Doc had now opened his eyes. They were blown in complete lust and passion.  
He was still panting constantly, a moan every time Jack’s cock brushed his prostate. The Captain took the time to look him in the eyes again, the other smiled, although it was a bit lopsided, it looked adorable. His hair had started falling onto his forehead and into his eyes. Jack nudged it away with his nose and then started kissing down his face once again, just in case he’d missed a spot earlier. When the other just whined and started pushing back onto his cock did he started his relentless pace again.  
James made a happy ‘hmm’ sound into Jack shoulder, where his head had found its refugee. 

Jack tried to connect their mouths but with the back and forth movement, he could only manage to kiss whatever was closest. When James threw his head back and opened his mouth in pure pleasure, his groans now turning into something else more loud and passionate, Jack started lightly nipping his neck. The answering: “ah, Jack, huh huh,” he got and feeling the throat underneath him rumble, assured him he was doing good.  
Jack knew this was his last chance to give everything he got and take everything he wanted. He pulled the other upright and pulled him into his lap, tucking his legs beneath himself and making sure for a second that James still had a firm grip on his back. He placed his hands on the other’s buttocks, massaging the twin mounds mercilessly.  
James saw this as an opportunity to take over, he started bouncing on Jack lap, desperate for release. “Jack! Yes! NEARLY, AH Ye-ES” the pleasure seemed to be tying up his tongue.

He could only answer with similar sweet nothings. “Nearly there Doc, keep going. Come on, love.” He growled breathlessly into the other’s ear. He connected their lips into a bone-melting kiss and continue his pace, starting to thrust up, meeting his Doc halfway. 

-“I’m gonna- co-OOH!! JACK!” He screamed, his lungs feeling like they were on fire. The hot white splash between their bodies and the involuntary contraction of muscles was enough for Jack. He bit down hard on the long neck that had been stretched back but now was leaning on his shoulder, one more time ramming as deep as he could into the tight flesh. Releasing his load. His vision going white as his release hit him full force.

When he realized what he had done, he quickly started soothing the wound with his tongue. The humming sound he got for it confirmed that his partner seemed to have a really nice and sensitive neck. He would be exploring that one next time though he was too tired.

He collapsed on top of James, toppling forward, both men trying to steady their breathing and let their hearts calm down. Jack felt the other try and get more comfortable, his legs that had been clamped strongly around Jack’s lower back, loosened and finally stopped their death grip on his sweaty body. His thin arms loosening as well as they started traveling up, towards Jack’s neck, lightly stroking the short hairs there. Jack nuzzled James’s long neck again, feeling the pulse point, his heart slowing to a steady rhythm. He was really growing to love that neck.

They lay like that for a few minutes, although Jack was kind of heavy James didn’t complain. He liked the feeling of being so intimately connected with someone. Quite literally at this moment.

James sighed when he felt Jack lift off and pull out of him, then roll over. he settled down and tried to find a good position to rest in.  
Jack fumbled, trying to keep the area as clean as possible, taking out a tissue out of his nightstand and handing one to James. He carefully disposed of the condom. The thinner man followed his movement and gave him a quick kiss when Jack settled down next to him again, after throwing the used piece in the thrash. Jack wrapped his arms around the thin waist and pulling him closer.

He reached down, one arm still around the other’s body, and pulled the blankets up to their shoulders and settled down. Words weren’t needed, except another quick squeeze of the thin body in his arms.  
He heard a muffled sniffle and saw the big brown eyes closing slowly, a lopsided, contented grin on his face still. James, to Jacks amusement, buried himself deeper into the blankets so they reached up to his nose. Jack snuggled closer and rested his head in the brown mop of hair, feeling it tickling his chin until he fell asleep.


	11. The morning after

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> listen up this is one of the last things I write so the next few chapters are already sort of done except for the climax and the epilogue  
> hopefully I'll be able to upload more often.  
> warning for oral sex and the shortness of this chapter.

Still lying in the afterglow, James lying half on top of Jack’s muscular frame. He was way too happy to sleep right now. His mind wandered over to the conversation he had with Jack about the two women who had been murdered in the same way but didn’t seem to have any further connection.  
Nowhere. Everywhere the police had looked so far. How would two totally unrelated people end up dead in the streets of Cardiff both with the same causes and within twenty-four hours of each other?  
He Jumped slightly when Janet clambered onto the bed and snuggled into Jack’s side. Trying not to feel jealous he snuggled closer and was very pleased when he felt Jack’s hand start carding through his hair.  
“What are you thinking about?” –“just those girls you told me about…” James sighed. –“Yeah, we’re still looking for a connection. It’s like someone is not telling us what really happened.” He continued stroking his lover’s hair and felt the other snuggle closer into his side. After another second he could feel the other smirking into his skin. After another second he felt a hot hand slowly creep up to his crotch and dance at the edges of his hipbones.  
-“Already, Jack?” He smirked. Oh, you saw how I lose control. James kissed Jack one last time on the lips, then in the hollow of his neck. Then he slowly crawled down Jack’s body and disappeared underneath the blankets. Jack could feel the moist heat of the other’s open-mouthed kisses travel down towards his crotch. It stopped for a second on one of his nipples. Feeling the darker flesh being suckled lightly. It made him grip the blankets in both pleasure and anticipation and Janet move away from him and slowly slink out of the bedroom.  
He gave a groan when he felt the man underneath the blankets give the tip of his leaking erection a testing lick. He was about to stroke the hair encouragingly when he felt the other swallow him down in one go. The wet heat enveloping made him start and arch up, just that little deeper into the soft heat. He groaned and finally got enough control over his limbs to move his sweaty hands to the back of James’s head.  
James hollowed his cheeks and started an unforgiving rhythm, stroking his tongue on the underside of Jack’s erection and hollowing his cheeks when he pulled back, over and over again. Meanwhile, Jack was desperately trying not to thrust up into his mouth and accidentally gag his lover. Now it was James trying not to groan. Harry had never restrained himself when they did this. He found himself actually enjoying this, giving pleasure and not being choked actually was quite fun. The groans above him became louder and more frequent. Jack’s hand at the back of his head gripped that little bit tighter and he felt the first spirt of salty seed on his tongue. Jack arched into him and nearly shouted up at the heavens.  
He kept lightly suckling on the softening cock and started licking it clean. Jack meanwhile was scrunching his face, his cock had become oversensitive after that last one. The small jolts of pleasure that still shook through him were almost too much.  
He let out one last heavy half groan, half sigh and maybe a little of a sob. He quickly pulled his lover from underneath the blankets and connected their lips sweetly, tasting himself in the other’s mouth.  
“Blow a man’s brains out, why don’t you?” Jack laughed cheekily. The other just kissed one of his pecks and laid his cheek on the still quickly moving chest. He could hear Jack’s heart still beating erratically.

-

When they woke up early in the morning they did it all again. every time getting that little bit closer to each other’s hearts. They woke up again, still wrapped up in the blankets, close to each other.  
Jack opened his eyes just slightly, between his curtains he could see thin strips of light peeking between them and casting onto his bed. The other man in his double bed was still asleep. His face was at Jack’s chest height. He felt the other’s cool breath against one of his pecks. He just laid there for a second enjoying the warmth of the sun and of the warm body against himself.  
His morning not-quite-erection enjoyed it very much and sent signals to his body to wake up the closest available penetrable body. He resisted the urge and instead snuggled closer. He drifted in and out of sleep for a while until all of a sudden his bedmate started awake. He seemed to realize where he was and flopped back into his pillow.  
-“You okay?” Jack asked the other, he had been stroking lightly down his spine, his hands ghosting over the smooth back of his lover.  
-“Yeah.” He smiled. –“I’m glad.” Jack connected their lips again. he would have started al over again if not for a text message he heard his phone signal. Who would text him at this hour? It better not be Gwen making him come to work early again.  
He blindly grabbed for his phone on the nightstand and took a look at it. And freaked out. It was past ten in the morning. The text he had gotten was Gwen going from politely asking him if he was okay to screaming at him over text, yelling at him that he was late.  
-“Shit!” He got up, throwing the blankets off of both of them. –“What is it? is everything okay?”  
-“I must have forgotten to set my alarm. It’s past ten. Sorry I hope you didn’t have anything urgent.”  
-“Oh, not really. You’re late aren’t you?” Jack sighed and nodded. “He got up and started sifting through his closet next to his bed.”  
-“I could get you some food while you get ready?” He smiled, also getting out of bed and pulling on his clothes from the night before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is the first time I've ever written some kind of smutt ( these last two chapters should make that clear) if you have some issues with the writing or you don't understand the story pls let me know and I'll try to clarify in an edited version. :-/


	12. outside forces

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oop. this is slightly triggering.   
> I mean slightly, more like I get personally triggered by this. :-/ these type of situations are close to my heart and although they have never been directed at me I know people who have had to deal with these shit storms
> 
> I mean after every high there has to be a low and I feel like it's almost an obligatory scene in a story that has a gay relationship  
> but you know it's Christmas so...
> 
>  
> 
> Ho- Ho- ho- homophobia  
> It's in the tags so ya'll saw it coming.

Before James left, they had decided to go and eat in a nearby park, later that day. When lunch break rolled around, Jack exited the police station and walked down to the park, where James already was sat on a bench. It was a sunny day for a change and several mothers with their children were in the park, playing. he sat down on a bench that looked out over a nearby pond. James had his backpack with him, his laptop always within arm’s reach. They ate and chatted; Jack telling about his days in the Navy.  
Jack was still snacking on an apple when James abandoned his lunch in favor of his laptop he had carefully stashed away inside his backpack. He opened it and clicked open his, what jack presumed, latest test results. 

“Where did you get that laptop from? You didn’t have it with you at my place. and you stayed over.” 

-“I left it the evening before at the station. Figured I wouldn’t be needing it when I came with you. and I was right, apparently.” He waggled his eyebrows. “I went and got it when I came with you to the police station this morning, well more like an hour ago, since you so rudely overslept. I’ve been sitting here ever since.” He explained.

-“I don’t believe you. you’re gonna work yourself to death.” 

-“I gotta get this finished, I’ve only got a little while left. And with all these distractions, good distractions by the way.” He added when he saw the hurt look on Jack's face. “I’m not going to get this finished if I don’t hurry the hell up.“

-“well I wouldn’t be able to do it.” he sighed, he knew it was time. “I gotta get back to work. Gwen’s rechecking with all the staff at the restaurant so I won’t be needed to do anything except paperwork, for the rest of the day.” He sighed.

-“You sound like you’re excited about that last one.” James laughed. 

-“Well, when I became a cop nobody told me I would have to write full reports about every god damn case that we solve.” 

-“Well. I wish you the best of luck.” James said while his lover got up and turned around, facing him. He bent down and embraced James.   
James curled his arms around Jack’s back and nestled his face against the other man's shoulder, accidentally reawakening some memories from the night prior in Jacks apartment. The stirring in his pants, he decided, was entirely Jack’s fault. 

He pulled back a little to look at Jack, and smiled. The other smiled back and looked him in the eye. -“Do I kiss you goodbye now, or?” James asked shyly. He imagined that he must be blushing terribly from the way Jack looked at him. 

-“If you want.” The other answered. “God, you really haven’t done this before.” Jack laughed and gave him a quick peck on the lips before pulling away. He turned around one last time to salute James with his index- and middle finger. A gesture James gladly returned. 

 

He kept working for another five minutes when stuff started to get unpleasant. It started when two men, one of average height and another that was almost double in size, in all dimensions, came into his general direction. He didn’t think much of them, as he thought they were just walking by. They stopped in front of him and stood still, right in the way of the sunlight James had been basking in. He looked up and found himself staring right into the eyes of two angry looking men. He had just been about to politely ask them to move as he was attempting to get some vitamin c into his system, since this was Cardiff after all. He was even more shocked when he got a splash of cold water in his face. 

“Oi!” He cried out “I’m working here, do you mind?!”

“You mean this?” The smaller one asked sarcastically. The bigger one got a step closer and ripped the laptop out of James’ grasp, flinging it behind him. James could only shout angrily when his laptop flew through the air and landed on the sand next to the pond he had been sitting close to. He let out a sigh of relief when the laptop didn’t end up in the water. His relief was short lived when the biggest man came even closer pressed him back into the bench, James had gotten up from when his laptop had flown through the air. 

“Now, you sit down, little fairy.”

-“Excuse me, my name’s James.”

-“Shut that mouth of yours, fag! I saw you there, the both of you are fucking disgusting! And I don’t appreciate you hanging around with these innocent children.”

James arched his brow, and looked behind him. about twenty meters behind him, over a hedge, was a playground. Several children were playing, climbing the jungle gym and chasing each other. Their mothers and fathers were either chatting with one another or watching their children play. Even if them sharing a chaste kiss was in some way or another ‘harmful’ to these children none of them would have seen it.

-“is one of those children yours?” 

-“No, but I’m just looking out for them and their parents, who don’t seem to notice the danger to our society you pose. Now get out of here you disgrace!”

The biggest of them grabbed him by the shoulder and threw him to the ground. He wasn’t fast enough to catch himself and he went down onto his shoulder, his face taking less of the fall but still making it hurt like hell.

In the end, he got up and turned around to face them. After he had gotten picked on the first time in school, and Donna had had to save his skin he had taught himself to fight back.   
Before a real verbal fight could start he noticed, an elderly couple coming up to them. He almost expected them to join the two men, the way they looked in his direction. When the lady got out a handkerchief and took him gently by the shoulder to make him sit down, he realized the thunder in their eyes hadn’t been directed to him but to the two others that were with him.

In the background a heavy discussion between the two men and the elderly man stopped, and the two men who had harassed James were continuously apologizing to the other who had come to James’s rescue.   
“Thank you,” James almost whispered. Not internally aware of what was happening to himself and to everything around him. the older woman sat next to him on the bench where he had sat earlier and held the handkerchief beneath his nose. 

-“Sorry, mate.” he heard the man say. He held James’s laptop in hand, from where he had retrieved it from the side of the pond. 

“I really hope it still works, whatever work you were doing on there.” The man smiled. The lady that had handed him the handkerchief stood up and went to stand next to the man.   
Only then did James realize his nose was bleeding and steadily dripping blood onto his jacket. This was sort of a wakeup call as he realized he should probably be doing something about that. 

-“Thank you, I wouldn’t have gotten that back without you.” 

-“Well, dear I don’t think they’ll bother you again.” the woman reassured him. “was that other young man your boyfriend?” James cringed at the term, Jack himself had used it several times in the past because he knew it drove James practically up the wall. He nodded anyway. 

-“Well, I’m glad you found each other. Don’t let those bully’s get to you, lad.” The man said. 

When the bleeding of his nose had finally lessened he shook both their hands and introduced himself. They did the same.   
Later, they sat in a café, drinking some coffee. James had treated them, even though they insisted, he had slipped his money to the waiter before the man could get his wallet out.  
They were just about to part ways again when James couldn’t keep his curiosity at bay anymore, he just had to know.

-“Sorry, but how exactly did you make those guys go away? I’ve tried everything, I could use something like that.” He said, almost bitterly.

-“I’m a lawyer,” the man said. “See you around, son.” and he and his wife got up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oof   
> I'm uploading the next chapters soon, so I can finally start working on the finale and not have to worry about drafts not being posted. 
> 
> listen I know there are some readers, I really would help me if someone would just say something nice :-)   
> or something mean... Idk, just give me something to read in this that I haven't written.


	13. aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oof.   
> it really is Christmas!
> 
>  
> 
> and there is actual plot development?!

James realized that if he told Jack about what had happened, he would probably go full predator style after those two that had harassed him in the park, only a few hours earlier. After the incident and the coffee, he had gone back to the university and locked himself in the laboratory. In the evening Jack and he had planned a little date, but he was still a little bit rattled.

It was finally evening and Jack was done for the day, when James stepped into his office to greet him, he had hoped Jack wouldn’t notice but the second he walked into said man’s office Jack knew something was amiss.   
When Jack initiated a kiss and James didn’t immediately respond, Jack pulled back. 

“Are you ok?” he asked, concerned. He seemed to be assessing James. He looked a bit wide-eyed. Like he was unsettled. When he cupped his jaw gently, caressing the other man’s cheek with his thumbs, he saw an angry looking bruise, just about concealed in James’s collar.   
“What happened?” He questioned. He was trying to stay calm for James’s sake but his voice held barely concealed rage. He wanted to know who had done this to him and rip them apart, piece by piece, before he would kiss away every bruise that had ever been on his lover’s body.

James just wrapped his arms around Jack's neck and leaned in. Jack wrapped his arms in turn, around James and squeezed. God that felt good.  
-“There were these men. Had some things to say about us. Probably waited until you were gone and the weak looking twink was left alone.” He said not just a little bitter.

They would never try something like that with Jack. God, he hated his weak body sometimes. He hadn’t been able to defend himself against Harry and against some homophobes, who used the excuse of corrupting children when there weren’t even any present, in broad daylight for god’s sake.

-“Are you ok?! he heard Jack ask, concerned. James could tell that he was already making up ways of getting those guys and tearing them up limb before limb. “What did they look like? How many were there?”

-“Two. Some scruffy looking guy and one that was almost double size, in all dimensions, by the way.”

-“Oh, sweetheart. I’m so sorry I wasn’t there to help you. Oh, I’m terrible at this.”

-“Jack! They probably waited until you left. There was no way you could have done something or somehow have known this was going to happen. There was this elderly couple, they helped after that one big guy started getting physical.” 

-“They actually attacked you! that park was packed! Nobody helped you until it was too late. Bastards,” he growled.

-“The man, he was a lawyer. I talked to them afterward, they had a son that reminded them of me apparently.” 

-“Was it Mr. Davies?”

-“Yeah! You know him?” James asked. 

-“Yeah, he said the same about me.” He chuckled. “he does some cases here and there, he did the last one I solved. Got that son of a bitch put away for a long time.” 

-“He’s nice.” 

-“Yeah, he is,” Jack answered absentmindedly. He still wasn’t happy with the fact that James probably wouldn’t allow a revenge action. He squeezed again, getting the idea out of his head. Just as Ianto came into Jack’s office.   
-“Uh, Jack, sir, we’ve got an important guest. He seems very agitated.”

-“Who is it?” Jack asked, squeezing James to his chest, even harder this time. Making the other squeak quietly.

-“It’s Mayor Rassilon, sir.”

-“Okay, let him in.” 

-“I’ll just wait outside then, need anything in the mean time?” James waggled his eyebrows playfully.

“Nah, shouldn’t take too long, I hope. It’s past my work hours. Privileged bastard.” Jack said jokingly.

The mayor stepped into Jacks office and Jack kissed James one last time on the lips, before they separated and James stepped out of the office, nodding politely to the mayor. 

-

-“How can I help you this beautiful evening mister Rassilon?” Jack asked playfully. He sat down behind his office and gestured for the other to take a seat.  
Mayor Rassilon sat down. Looking hungrily at the cabinet behind Jacks desk. Jack rolled his eyes, the mayor had been here enough times to know where Jack kept his anti-boredom drinks. Not that he needed them often.

He sighed and got Rassilon a glass of some scotch. He looked a bit sweaty and distressed. A thin layer of perspiration forming around his eyes and receding hairline. The second the mayor got the glass he drank it in one go, sighing gratefully and focusing back to the present.

-“Crickey, sorry about that, needed that for a second.” He sighed again. 

“I see you have somebody waiting outside for you so I won’t take long, I just came here to ask if the investigation is going alright.”

-“Look, I’m sorry sir, but I can’t tell you anything. The only thing that I can tell you that we’re looking and hat we have some suspects.” 

“Any names?” Rassilon questioned desperately. “I’m just so worried, that woman worked for me, what if she was part of a terrorist group and plotting against me? Or something?”  
Jack couldn’t help the small chuckle, “I’m sorry sir, but if she was, I’m sure we would have known by now and one thing I can tell you as far as we’ve come we haven’t found anything that leads us back to you or the City of Cardiff. If that is any reassurance.”

-“Yes, quite. Thank you, Harkness. I was just wondering.” 

-“Don’t worry about it too much. If we find the killer, you’ll be one of the first to know.”

-“Ok. thank you.” The mayor got up, tilted his drink back one more time, letting the droplets that had collected drip onto his tongue.  
He shuffled out of the office, after saying goodbye to Jack. He looked back down the corridor of the police station one more time. Seeing Jack and that other guy sharing a quick kiss. With that, he turned back around and left the station.


	14. time together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is basically just fluff!!  
> also, the last chapter before the beginning of the end starts. 
> 
>  
> 
> this is one of the first things I wrote for the story, even before the murder was completely fleshed out. :)

The doorbell made him look up from his laptop. He closed it and carefully maneuvered himself around the books, all strategically placed around the room. He yawned and nearly lost his footing when his socked foot hit the slippery floor between several books on physics… and evolution? Why did he get that one out again?

It had been over four months since the murder of Sadie and Jessica. Since then not much had changed between him and Jack. He was still a bit tongue-tied, regarding the L-word but he knew he’d get there eventually. 

Jack had continued his investigation and told James, whom he always called Doc, everything he could. He didn’t really help but just liked to listen to the stories the other told. He hadn’t really seen much of Jack over the last few days, since he was just desperately trying to finish his thesis.   
But now He needed sleep and a shower, one more urgent than the other. He hated he didn’t even have the time to take care of himself let alone meet up with Jack to continue their budding relationship or talk with some friends.   
He finally got to his door and opened it, without really caring how he looked or smelled. 

When the door opened to him he, first of all, thought some type of alien creature had opened the door instead of James. Jack was about to make a ‘wrong address’ joke when he realized that James could probably use some help and a distraction, not that one guy that made inappropriate innuendo jokes at any time of the day.

James had bags under his eyes, his hair a mess, but not in the sexy, on purpose way, no, it was greasy and in some places it stuck to his head, It didn’t stand up on end as usual. He had a light stubble on his jaw, probably from not shaving or sleeping for several days, he doubted if he had eaten properly in the last couple of days.  
James himself looked wary and hunched over. his shoulders hanging, when he always stood so tall and proud. He thought he saw a shadow of a grin on his face, but it did not reach his eyes. 

Jack was the first to move. He wrapped his arms around James and squeezed. James complied and hugged back by wrapping his arms around Jacks back and resting his head on the other man’s shoulder, breathing him in, he smelled like his usual, musky aftershave. He decided he liked the smell and closed his eyes. He didn’t realize he had almost fallen asleep when he heard his name being called softly.

“Yeah right sorry, I’ve been busy.” He answered into Jack’s shoulder.

“Yeah, I see, sorry doc. but you look like shit,” Jack said, half smiling.

“Thanks?” James questioned, not knowing whether to take that as an insult. He frowned and looked down at himself, he DID look like shit, sweatpants, three days old t-shirt and his favorite fluffy socks, that were probably soaked in sweat.

“No, I’m sorry but... when’s the last time you put your books down and ate? or slept? or….” He sniffed the air. “showered,” he added cheekily, grinning.

“I’ve gotta get my thesis wrapped up, I’m nearly there. Just a few more things.” He reluctantly let go of the Captain’s cozy shoulder and pecked him on the lips before he beckoned the other man to follow him inside and into the corridor, he would have taken Jack to the living room but at the moment it looked more like a really messy library. He decided to skip the living room so he took him to the next best room; the kitchen. 

He was about to make some coffee, for, if he was not lying, mainly himself, when a hand on his shoulder stopped him.   
“you’ve gotta sleep, not live on coffee and sugar highs. So take a break, take a shower. Meanwhile I’ll make sure your living room is usable.” Jack offered. James smiled, his heart melted for the concern Jack had shown on multiple occasions. 

James sighed, contemplating Jacks offer, a shower did seem like a good idea right about now. Actually, it sounded bloody amazing, it was what he’d been craving for almost three days of nonstop research and writing on his thesis. But he had to make sure he could get to the lab in the university in time to wrap up his research. He needed some extra experiments just to be sure he didn’t miss anything, but an hour or so to eat and take a shower did sound amazing.   
“Ok,” he agreed “I’ll be right back! Don’t touch anything important looking!” He warned Jack but with no real threat.

He stepped out of the kitchen and into his room to his closet, even his room was an absolute mess, papers littered the floor and his desk, usually used for books and more casual work was packed full of chemicals and instruments he’d borrowed from the university. He grabbed the clothes he wanted and went over to the bathroom, laid his fresh clothes on the drain counter. He let the water warm up while he undressed. When he was naked he tested the water for temperature and stepped under the stream.   
After twenty minutes of enjoying the water down his back and washing his hair and body, he heard a soft knock on the door.  
“Hey, Doc it’s me, just checking you didn’t fall asleep in the shower.” 

“Very funny, Jack.” he snorted to himself. “I’ll be right out!” He called back, turned off the shower and stepped out. He wrapped a towel around his waist and looked at himself in the mirror. He’d always known that his body was very attractive to some. Also had he noticed a submissive side about himself, in bed he could sometimes become something close to a loud ragdoll, something that had been taken advantage of by among others, Harry. Harry was something that wasn’t common. He realized that now.   
He would have never have expected Jack to be attracted to him in such a way. In comparison to him, he was a scrawny fish out of the water. However, Jack had over the last few months, on many different occasions let him know how he thought of his looks. 

His skin was full of freckles, the second it would see sunlight. they were all over his face and continued down his throat and further down his shoulders in tiny constellations, some places were more densely freckled than others.   
He used to like them. Just like he had liked his thin, if not bony body frame. He had become close to vain with the attention he had gotten because of it.   
His self-esteem had taken a big hit with Harry but he had promised himself he would get over it, if not for himself, then for his family and for Jack. Jack had built up his confidence back a bit, but he still was nowhere near the carefree student from a year ago.

He shaved and made his hair look reasonably good and put on the fresh clothes he had taken with him. he stepped out of the bathroom and stood still for a second when the smell of toast and eggs came wafting into the hall. His mouth started to water and he practically flew to the kitchen.  
He stepped into the kitchen and smiled, the detective hadn’t been sitting still while he was in the shower. Jack turned around from his position at the counter to look at James, a wide smile on his face. 

“You look way better, y’know.”

-“That bad, was it? Jack grinned and nodded cheekily.

-“Well a bit yeah.” He responded to the kind of rhetorical question. James laughed at that, even now Jack gave him that little tingly feeling inside.   
With a flourish of movement, Jack put a plate and a cup of steaming hot liquid on the kitchen table and gestured for James to come and take a seat. James sat down and started with a sip of the fresh tea Jack had made. he let out a contented sigh after his first big gulp. Jack sat down in front of him nursing a cup of coffee of his own. How much he would appreciate a good cup of coffee right now, he did need to sleep. Later, he said to himself, draining nearly half the cup. 

-“How’s the case? Has something new come up?” James asked, slightly excited. He really liked listening to Jack. 

-“Not really, but you don’t have to worry about me, I’m fine. I know you’re busy at the moment,” Jack answered. That felt good, it really made James smile, it showed that Jack really cared about him. 

“Thank you, Jack.” His voice full of sincere gratitude. 

“You’re welcome.” the other man answered, “although I’m not sure for what…” winking at him. James rolled his eyes. So much for that serious moment.   
“Can’t you ever be serious?” he laughed. 

“I can try, but, later! Cinderfella needs his beauty sleep or he might fall asleep in the middle of his presentation.”

How much James would just like to put his head on a pillow and sleep for the rest of his life, he couldn’t waste too much time. 

“I’m sorry Jack but if I go to bed now I’m gonna sleep for a century, can’t we watch a movie or something?” he asked instead. Hoping Jack would approve.  
“Sure, why not?” 

James finished his meal and put his plate in the sink, the remainder of his tea he took with him and put it on the small table. Jack had already chosen a film, Monthy Python and the Holy Grail. 

-“Are you serious?” James laughed while sitting down on the couch in front of the tv. His books he had placed around the room were all neatly stacked, still open on the pages he had left them at. 

-“What? It’s a quality movie!” Jack replied, mock offense on his handsome face. 

-“If you say so, Captain.” Jack sat down on the couch while the film started, James settled down, close to the man sitting next to him.   
Just before he dozed off he felt an arm pull him just that little bit closer so he was practically on top of Jack's chest, not that he minded one bit. He felt a light kiss to his forehead, but he was too tired to react or anything. He wouldn’t have minded if Jack did it again, maybe several times over.  
Feeling safe and guarded he dozed off on Jack’s warm, muscular chest.


	15. time apart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well then, this should be fine...

He did it! he could barely believe it! He was a doctor. Well, he still had the graduation ceremony but that didn’t matter. Soon he’d be able to do something with all those years he’d spent studying this subject.

This thought hit him in the middle of a relatively busy train platform in Paddington station in London. Waiting on a train to Cardiff central where Jack would pick him up. He couldn’t help the big grin that appeared on his face and probably creeped out a few people. He was still grinning like a loon when he got on the train, still packed with his laptop case and several other bags, and settled down in his reserved seat next to a window.

That morning he’d done his thesis presentation, for the public and later he’d had some time alone with several of his professors, including the one that had send him to Cardiff to begin with. He wanted to thank him for that, it was because of him he’d met all his friends, but most importantly, Jack. It was only after that his fate had been decided that he’d gotten the chance.

After that, his family, who had been present at his presentation, and he had gone out. They went to London and he finally got to talk to his sister in person. They shared latest news about their lives, James conveniently forgetting about Jack (as much as he loved Jack he was still being careful about who he told about their developing relationship), had a drink in a café and later had some lunch at home. Donna finally had selected a date for her wedding, after she had been hesitant for so long. Shaun and she were due to marry in just a few months, romantically on the day when a few years prior they had met.

When James made fun of the fact that she would soon be called Noble Temple, his drink nearly tipped over when he got the usual smack on the shoulder. She laughed at him that he would soon become, if she and Shaun ever had kids, the stereotypical gay uncle. She got an eye narrowing for it in return. It was all in good nature so they laughed about it afterward. For once his mother didn’t have a go at him and his grandad seemed to for once agree with her. Even if it was only about the fact that James, after his work, trying to finish a thesis, did deserve some time off. He was absolutely thrilled, and ready to decline in case it was some sort of test, when they offered to pay for this month’s rent so he wouldn’t have to worry about that and could take his time to get a job and actually breathe.

He would start looking soon but with Jack having nearly solved the case and he having some time off they would be able to spend more time together. He found himself smiling, looking forward to doing so. He’d start tomorrow. He would stay over at Jack’s and make them both some breakfast. Over the course of the coming days he would start looking for a job, with some luck they would be able to use him at the university.

Thinking of his future always made him think of Jack. He could see himself, in the future, still together with Jack. He took his phone out and dialed his number. It went over three times before Jack picked up. 

“Did you do it?!” came de excited question on the other side of the line. 

-“I did, Jack! Your nickname for me finally will be making sense,” He smiled. When he got no direct reply except for the barked orders he heard his lover giving out to whoever was in the room he continued. “Are you busy, you sound stressed. I know we were going to meet at Cardiff central but I could always take a bus or a taxi home.” 

-“No, no problem. You deserve to get picked up, definitely after today.” James blushed, even though Jack couldn’t see it on the other side of the line.

“I might be just slightly late though. Are you in Cardiff yet?”

-“Not for another while. Why? …” he waited a few seconds, contemplating his net question. “Did you arrest someone?”

-“Yes we did. The brother, carl.”

-“Oh god.” James said. That as way worse than he ever could have imagined. A brother that killed his own sister. Presumably to shut her up about something important. But what could be that important to commit family murder. “Are you sure? Did he kill Jessica too?” He questioned. He just couldn’t believe it.

-“we don’t know about that…” he heard Jack sigh. “We’re fairly sure. We’re fairly sure he killed his sister and Jessica. But he doesn’t seem to be connected to Jessica.”

-“That’s terrible. I’ll leave you to it. good luck I guess. If you don’t mind I’ll be there at twelve thirty.”

-“Ok, goodbye sweetheart.”.

-“Good luck. See you later.” James smiled for a second and hung up the phone. He wouldn’t let the terrible news put a damper on his day.

 

It was at about twenty minutes past midnight that he arrived in Cardiff central, the place was deserted. The few shops inside the station were closed and the enormous screen with departure and arrival info, displayed few trains. The few people that got off in Cardiff with him disappeared quickly and soon he was left alone in the grand hall of the station. He looked at the clock, displaying the time. He decided it was probably for the best if he went outside. Maybe Jack would already be there. Counting on that, he got his stuff and walked out the exit. 

Standing alone, it was cold. That was to be expected in Cardiff at midnight. He pulled his jacket closer against himself and waited. Another five minutes passed and he took out his phone to once again look at the time; thirty minutes past midnight, Jack would be there any second now. 

It was three minutes later that he heard a noise behind him. slightly startled he turned around. In the light of the street lanterns he could see an individual standing. He held his phone tighter and approached the person cautiously. He didn’t recognize the person. All of a sudden they collapsed and fell to the concrete floor, Right underneath one of the street lights. James abandoned his stuff and ran up to the person. The man, he could see that now, lay face down on the floor, apparently unconscious. James turned the man around. Getting the big scarf and hat out of the way to check the man for any life signs, when he recognized him. 

“Oh it’s you.” he grumbled. He all of a sudden had the overwhelming desire to just leave him on the street, but he couldn’t do that. It was the bloke that had thought it was funny to nearly throw his laptop in the pond, and then had started name calling and berating him for daring to set foot in his park, while he was just trying to finish work on his thesis.  
There had been one more but he couldn’t see or anybody else. He was just about to call an ambulance when the man started to stir. He looked down, giving the man a little shake. 

“Are you ok? hello?” He was not calling that guy ‘sir’. The man opened his eyes and to James’ surprise he smirked at him. not a nice smirk, but an evil, ‘you walked into my trap’, smirk. 

James backed up a bit and walked straight into a solid form behind him, that quickly took hold of him, clamping an enormous hand over his mouth and nose an another around his middle. In complete shock, James tried to scream through the hand that was cutting of his oxygen. His arms flailed around, launching his phone somewhere into the shadows. The person behind him, that he now remembered as the near giant that had harassed him together with his friend in the park, got a hold of his flailing limbs and held them tightly to his body, now he only had his legs to defend himself with. He tried kicking the man behind him but he didn’t seem too bothered. He was starting to see red as his oxygen was running out faster and faster due to his desperate escape attempts.

“Mind his nose, you’ll strangle our beauty.” He heard the man who had faked his distress say. The man that kept him in his hold shifted his hand and exposed James’ nose, allowing him to breath. Glorious oxygen filled his lungs. He would have sighed, if he hadn’t been in such a predicament. 

“You know, whore. After the last time we met, and you humiliated me like that,” He spat. “I got another chance. Someone who… let’s say… is willing to keep the population of your kind under control. Normally I would just take the first I saw of the street. But let’s say the deal was to get to another of yours and well…you’re perfect for the job.”

Seeing his last chance to escape when the other man took out what looked like a syringe he bit down, hard, on the hand that was clasped around his mouth. He tasted the blood it had produced and spat it down onto the pavement, to get the vile taste out of his mouth

“What are you talking about?! You’re insane! Just let me g---hmmmpf!” he didn’t get any further when the hand was once again sealed over his mouth. He could only hope he had screamed enough to let people know he was in trouble. the man walked up to him and got a hold of his hair, yanking his head to the side, exposing his neck. A sharp pinprick signaled his body that he’d been injected with some unknown substance. He felt the drugs racing through his system, making his movements sluggish and weak. The hand in front of his mouth was loosened and so was the grip on his arms. He felt his knees give out and soon was on his way to the floor. The man that had injected him, catching him just in time. He heard him barking orders to the other, who, he understood, had taken his stuff but could not find his phone as James had flung it somewhere in the general direction of the road.

“Wha ahhhr you doin’?” he asked in the strongest voice he could muster. 

“We’re having fun, you won’t be so much in a minute, when you wake up.” The man told him, 

It was only a matter of seconds before James drowned in the blackness that overwhelmed him and became a dead weight in the arms of his captors.

\--

Jack was thunderous, they’d arrested Carl. The brother of Sadie in connection to the murder of Sadie and Jessica after one of the staff members had confirmed that Carl had left the restaurant with his sister and not with his ex-girlfriend. They had brought the ex in and talked to her and it turned she had lied about his alibi. She hadn’t known for what she had been lying though, she had just been desperate for her weekly topping up of her cocaine stash and since carl and her had broken up she was willing to do anything. 

The suspicion had first arisen when Miss brown, now once again second in line for taking over the restaurant had called them, she had told them she hadn’t been fully honest with them. She had been present at the restaurant when Carl came to pick up his ex. Only it hadn’t been his ex but his sister. She hadn’t supposed to have been there and had been scared for the repercussions if she told the police. The police had obviously forgiven her, since she now was a key witness in an ongoing murder case.

He was deep in thought, on his way to the station when a SUV, at top speed, going the opposite way nearly drove into him. the only reason they didn’t crash was because of his fine reflexes. He swerved out of the way, only just in time, swearing colorfully. 

Barely having recovered from the scare he’d gotten, he pulled up at the parking lot outside the station. He was only a few minutes late so he didn’t worry that much. He got out of his car and started walking in the direction of the main entrance. The place was deserted, which was strange. He checked his clock again. He was only ten minutes late. Surely that wouldn’t be long enough of a wait to make James call a taxi. And even if he did, the taxi wouldn’t be here yet. So where was James?

He waited another five minutes and checked on the train info board if his train was late. No, the train had arrived nearly twenty minute ago, ten minutes early even.

He took out his phone and quick dialed James’ phone. He heard it dial and waited. It went over ones, twice… It was at this point he heard a noise. It sounded like a poor version of five hundred miles from the Proclaimers. The music sounded like it was being produced from a low quality jukebox or a smartphone… oh god. A sinking feeling settled into his system. He kept listening to the sound and followed it. he nearly had a heart attack when he found the source of the sound. It was James’ phone. An old model of the Samsung brand. By the way the screen was bashed up and the casing was cracked It looked like it hadn’t just fallen to the floor but had been flung across the pavement onto the side of the road, just outside of the street lantern’s reach. He was surprised it still worked as the screen had pieces of glass missing. His DI instincts kicked in and he started looking for more signs of a struggle or fight or something like that. He turned around and stepped into the light of the street lantern. He looked around on the ground, it was pitch black so he could only look in the perimeter of the light. He looked at the floor and found a few, still drying, drops of blood. They weren’t much but it was enough for him to know that something was up.

There wasn’t much he was able to do, standing in the middle of the pavement under a street lantern, so he decided to go and check the CCTV of the area. Quickly running back to his car and speeding in the direction of the police station, he got his phone back out and dialed the first member of the police force in Cardiff that came to mind, which was Gwen. 

-“Jack?” Came the tired-sounding answer on the other side of the line. “Please tell me you have a good reason for calling me at this late hour.”

-“Gwen, get to the station, I think we might have a situation.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well well well.   
> bit of a cliffhanger...   
> I'm kinda busy right now. so I'm going to need some time.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow,   
> I took a break from writing. I felt like I didn't have any inspiration and I focused on my senior year project for a while, but damn it is a bitch to make. also, for some reason, I really stressed out about this one. so please be gentle on my ass.  
> also, I'm stretching my writing muscles again, so you can expect some kind of other story coming some of these weeks

A slight tugging at his wrist woke him up from his forced sleep. He lifted his head a bit and tried to adjust himself on the floor he was lying. He couldn’t move, pins and needles were traveling up and down his arms. When he concentrated a bit more on the tugging at his wrist it turned out they were ropes that bound his hands together behind his back. He tried to groan but found there seemed to be an old cloth in his mouth. He tried to spit it out but is sat sturdy like a rock. Giving up on trying to talk his way out of this situation he tried his other senses. His hearing was picking up several small things that at first wouldn’t mean much but now he could hear voices.   
Opening heavy eyes, he couldn’t see much in the darkness of the room. It seemed almost like a basement. Supplies and tools were scattered across the room, stored away in boxes or neatly stacked on shelves and cabinets. The white light of the moon gleamed from a thin window near the ceiling. It reflected the metal of a table and something that looked like a camera stand. Something that creeped him out the most was the fact that there seemed to be a chemical lab at the far end of the basement, it looked like a lab for illegal drugs, something very close to what they had at the university in London. That couldn’t be good. How did he end up here again? It had been that guy that had fallen to the ground at the train station. He couldn’t quite remember what had happened next but he knew it hadn’t been good. And what were they planning with that camera? Blackmail? Could these people be the killers of Jessica and Sadie?

The voices got louder and a door opened, a harsher light filled the room while the persons walked in and dimmed again when the door closed behind the last one.   
He didn’t know what he would do now. He couldn’t talk and couldn’t move. The biggest man took him by the shoulders and lifted him up. He was pushed into a chair and tied to it by the scruffy man. 

“Hello, Mr. Noble, sorry for the inconvenience,” a different voice said. How did they know his name? “You’re probably wondering why you’ve been taken here. Let’s just say it was very convenient. We’ll take good care of you, so don’t worry. We just need you for a little video, won’t take long.” The person stepped out of the shadows and now James could see his face. It was mayor Rassilon! The man he had met when he was waiting for Jack at the police station. 

“Now, we gotta test something. don’t worry we’ve had enough time to test doses you should be fine, if not then, well… we’ll do it for the camera, so be a love and act it out a bit, would you?” He started struggling, what did they mean with doses?  
The large guy picked up the camera and set it in place a few meters in front of the chair James was tied to. The mayor stepped out of the view of the camera and switched it on. The scruffy looking man stepped into view but kept out of the light.   
The red light started flashing, signaling it was now recording.   
Scruff took hold of his hair, making him look into the camera, James in a mild panic, started breathing deeply through his nose.   
-“You hit some soft spots, Mr. Harkness. So we hit one of yours. By now you’ll probably be looking for him. Stop looking for our business, it’s worth more to us than he is to you. We will return him when you and your force promise to leave us alone and can actually prove that we’ll be left alone forever, you better hurry because every day that goes by without a promise from you we will inject him with the chemicals you have found in the last two bodies that were found in Cardiff.” Scruff threatened.   
James only now started really struggling. He knew what that meant. He kept wrenching and twisting his body, his eyes wide and wildly looking around for an escape. He doubled his efforts when he saw the shine of a syringe needle heading his way. He had to think quick he had to somehow let Jack know where to look. But how could he do that without them noticing?   
The syringe was emptied into his shoulder and a hot pain started traveling down his arm and snake toward his heart. When it finally reached it, it quickly spread through his whole body and set golden fire to his brain. He cried out in pain, the gag had been wrenched out of his mouth so the camera could pick up his pain.   
Golden light danced behind his eyes, it felt like he was losing consciousness. He had to do something, quick. Now he remembered what Jack had told him about the mayor. He had this weird word he used, Jack had told him about it half laughing over some coffee one night at his apartment, some old word.   
He righted his head a bit and breathed hard enough so the mic would pick it up. “Crickey, that hurts.” Between his groans of pain. He could only hope would get his message and come and get him. With that, he couldn’t think or groan anymore and blissfully sagged in the chair. 

\--

He’d only just recovered from the terrible pain. It still lingered in his limbs but he didn’t feel like he was being torn apart anymore. He rolled over on his thin mattress and realized he wasn’t in the dark basement anymore but in a small square room, with a single light that still left the corners obscured.   
He felt along his shoulder and felt a slight welt from the needle prick. It was the same as Jack had told him about. This must be the killers of those women. But why wasn’t he dead?  
His eyes adjusted to the darkness and…  
Oh, Jesus oh fuck. It was a kid! A small boy, no older than maybe six years old laid on another thin mattress with a thin blanket over his shoulders. How long had he been here?!   
He ran up to the door of the smaller room and started angerly banging on the thick door. “you monsters! Let that kid outta here! Bastards!” He only realized that the shouting must have woken up the kid.   
“Hello?” the small boy pulled himself upright on his thin mattress. “Hello,” James approached the boy carefully.   
He didn’t know what to do. The small child looked curiously at him. not scared but more intrigued. What would he say next? “What’s your name?” He asked carefully.   
The boy looked at him and answered in a small voice. “Ivy. What’s yours?” -“Well, which one?” James tried to joke and make the kid forget. “Some call me Doctor or Jamie or spaceman. But my real name is James.”  
“That’s a nice name.”   
James just scrunched of his face, he’d never really liked it very much, it sounded so awfully posh. -“I don’t know, I sound like a butler.”   
-“Like batman’s butler!” –“Well if you see it like that, I guess it’s not that bad.” The kid laughed at the answer. Ivy cooled down a bit from the laughing high and all of a sudden seemed to darken. His lip wobbled a bit, James almost expected him to start crying.   
-“Hey, are you ok? what’s up?”  
-“I don’t like it here, I’m so alone all the time."   
-“Oh, hey, I’m here, aren’t I? I did what I could to help the police find us. My boyfriend will know where we are. It won’t be long now.” Although he wasn’t too sure of that.  
-“Your boyfriend?”   
-“Yeah, that ok?” Ivy just nodded. “Jack. He’s nice, you’d like him. I left him a message. I hope he gets it. he’s a detective so it’s his job.”  
-“He’s a detective?”   
-“Yeah, he finds murderers.” Quoting what Jack had said on their first real date. “I went to the police office with him once.”   
-“Oh wow! I haven’t been to anywhere that cool.” James knew he would have to get answers but would the kid know what was going on?   
-“Listen, Ivy, I need to know what’s happening. How long have you been here like this?”   
-“A while, usually daddy gives me toys to play with or sometimes friends come, like you.” James didn’t know what to say. –“The mayor is your dad? What about your mom?”  
-“She died when I was a baby. I don’t know much about her, though.” James nodded sadly, he never really knew how to answer to something like that. he’d never really been good at that sort of stuff, certainly since his dad passed away a few years back. For his whole family, it had just been easier to not talk about it, even if he’d always tried to be at least okay at talking about unpleasantries.

-“Sorry I have to ask this but what do you mean with ‘friends’?”   
-“people, last time there were two girls. One was called Sadie, I don’t really remember the other one.”   
“Jessica?” James was hoping beyond hope that the other woman wouldn’t be called Jessica.   
-“Yeah, that’s her. Do you know her?” James shook his head, he couldn’t tell the boy that they both were dead. “they had to go home though. I was really sad when they went home. Daddy told me he would find somebody else soon. and now you’re here. Did take a long time, though.”   
James didn’t know what to say. That monster of a mayor had his own son locked up in the basement, while still somehow keeping him on his own side by not telling what horrible experiments he was conducting on the innocent people and maybe…. He didn’t want to think about that.

-“Hey, Ivy can I ask? Did your father or any of his mates ever give you some sort of medicine?”   
-“How did you know? They give it to me every once in a while, every two times I wake up after my after playtime nap. I really don’t like it tough. My tummy aches after they give it to me. And then I have to sleep here. I don’t know why, though.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> is this too far fetched?   
> Idk I kinda liked the idea, I promise I don't hate kids.


End file.
